Castle in the Sky
by LadyLunarPhoenix
Summary: Challenge: Make Castlevania more anime by crossing it over with Sailor Moon. Challenge accepted! So what happens if Castlevania happens in the same universe as Sailor Moon? Spoilers: Alucard needs a vacation after this.
1. Chapter 1

Castle in the Sky

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

A/N: I was challenged to write this... so here you go, an opening prologue to a mad idea.

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 _Dear Arikado,_

 _Julius thought this would be a good idea. If I wrote what goes on in my life and write it in letter format. 'Something something, help me from going world destroying crazy yadda yadda yadda, might be fun, grumble grumble, might get Arikado more sociable too.' Because apparently I handle way too much stuff with calm sophistication. Apparently the whole 'Flying Skeletons attacking me and I just stab it with my widdle pocket knife' is a bit 'TOO' low key for his tastes. I guess he couldn't understand why something like that, while surprising, wouldn't scare me 50 ways to Sunday. So let me tell you about my day here in the brightly lit active city of Tokyo, Japan._

 _Let's start with what I'm doing right now._

 _Right now I am sitting by a glass window at a charming little cat Cafe. The walls are a soft honey color series of swirls mixed with milk white. The tables and chairs are all white, slender, with this lovely cinnamon brown haired woman in a white and green sailor suit sitting on my lap. Lit in a lovely golden red hue of a raging inferno coming from outside the cafe._

 _Literally, angels from Heaven don't let little things like ceilings get in their way I suppose._

"Are you... seriously writing a letter to someone while a Youma attack is going on?" Said green eyed girl asked incredulously. Her gaze going between the cellphone in his hand and his face as though she was trying to ponder the greater mysteries of life itself.

"Well, I don't see myself in any danger," Soma replied, casually with one arm holding her back and the other hand holding said phone.

"Well I'm glad you consider yourself 'that' safe with us here, but its 'not' and you need to go to safety!" She argued before it finally registered that she was, well on his 'lap'. Her cheeks went vivid red as she hurriedly climbed to her feet. "Y-you need to leave! Leave the Youma to us Sailor Scouts!" She instructed before jumping out the window. Practical since all the glass was broken and she wouldn't be stupid enough to actively try to cut herself. Outside there were other women fighting some monster, each woman wore a white sailor suit with a unique color theme. The red one was using fire, an orange one had a golden chain, a pink haired pink themed woman who could be about Soma's age or a bit younger and and a pastel rainbow like themed skirted woman who seemed to be in charge.

Welcome to Japan.

Soma looked down at his small, for two, table that had his cup of coffee with a large chunk of glass jutting out of it. So he wasn't going to continue having his drink which made the fact he hadn't paid yet all the more balanced. He couldn't be disappointed that he paid for something that he didn't get to enjoy it if it was laced with glass. While he decided to resume writing to Arikado as he left this battle with the... the... 'Youma'? Really what 'was' that thing because it lacked the malicious aura of a being with a demonic soul.

Then again it also looked like some neon discotheque... It looked like a cosplayer. It looked like some over the top flashy cosplay outfit and if not for the fact that energy was being flung around. If not for the buildings clearly getting battered by this supposed 'battle' he would have assumed he had come across a Kamen Rider or live action magical girl show.

"What? A human? Hey! Hey you! The one with the fluffy collared coat!"

Soma blinked as, well, who else in Japan wore the same stuff he did? He turned around to face the monster while the, sailor scouts was it, gathered between him and it. It was quint seeing people trying to protect him, at least they were cuter than Arikado and Julius.

"Hey we're your opponent!" the blond with the red bow in her hair called out.

"This doesn't concern me," Soma muttered to himself as he turned back around and started down the sidewalk again. His eyes glued to his phone as he thought about the next line he should write.

BOOOM!


	2. Chapter 2

Castle in the Sky

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

A/N: This should be short, I hope. I plan... I believe.

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The kick back wind from the explosion flung Soma's coat against his legs, as well as pushed the women behind him a good enough distance that one slammed into his back. He looked down at his phone and its waiting email, then turned his head to look over his shoulder.

"Hurry up and get out of here, we can't hold it back while you casually stroll away!" The red skirted woman snapped at him, her back the one pressed against his.

He looked at the discotheque mashup that was supposedly the 'threat', and shook his head. It was maroon in color, slender with no real gender or slip of clothes on its body. The eyes were glass like with the lack of genuine emotion or soul and its facial features were far too smooth to have its own identity.

"You know my lunch break is almost over..." the blond with the red ribbon commented and the statement alone was enough to make Soma smirk slightly.

It made sense though, they felt old enough to have full time jobs or something occupying their time beyond just fighting monsters. Though he couldn't positively identify what they looked like off the cuff. But they were clearly capable of magic and there really wasn't anyone else around... so with a final look at his cell, he saved the email and turned to face the women.

"Here I'll make it easy for you guys and help out, its the least I can do considering you're trying to 'protect' me and all.." Soma offered which was a shock, to say the least, for the group.

"You can't stay here!" The pigtailed blond argued while the pink haired version with more bunny ear action hair pipped up.

"Mother is right! That's a Youma who's-" her words were cut off as said Youma suddenly took action.

"If the fool wants to offer me his energy!" Even the voice wasn't really 'alive' it was computer like, sterile of life cold and sharp. Like a computers' attempt at sounding cruel without any data, even its looming posture implied instructed cruelty. It also had a pair of what appeared to be smooth stones in the palm of its hands. Holding said hands out got it's off blue tone stones to discharge a white light that hit him and... well supposedly 'absorb Soma's energy' though to be honest... Soma didn't feel all that 'absorbed' indeed he watched as the white light rapidly turned dark then black. "What... What is this?! I-I can't stop!"

The voice shrieked, stumbling back in growing desperation while shaking its hands as though it might break the connection.

Soma merely sighed, as he thought about which soul would be useful for this monster, Red Minotaur would be dangerous with the women so close. So he finally opted for the disc soul, generating the large buzz saw like disc as he walked past the startled black haired woman. He flung the disc out and watched as it, with brutal precision, decapitate the monster, rather the 'Youma' mid wail. Both the disc and the Youma disappeared one fading out of sight, the other in a rather disco ball style explosion of color.

He waited, watching as the light faded, and outside of the colored lights there was no sign of a soul releasing. Rather instead it was a good sized mannequin meant for a store front window that still had 'its' head at least. It fell to the ground with a solid thunk and ended up on its back, the body frozen in a pin up girl position. Peculiar, but hardly what he would consider alarming.

"Who are you? Not just anyone can overpower a Youma and manifest weapons out of thin air like that!" The pink dressed woman asked in both awe and trepidation, the others curving about him almost bowl like in their position.

"The same could be said of all people walking around in sailor suits and hurling elemental magics by color," Soma quipped with a half smirk at said women. Then gave a prompt little salute, "now if I'm not mistaken one of you needs to get back to work and I have the rest of my day sooo."

"Yikes he's so right, sorry but my break is over!" that was the orange flavored one.

"Mine too being a chef can be tight..." the first woman he met added, and suddenly those two scattered to the four winds leaving only the two pigtailed women and the fire starter with Soma in the empty street.

There was this awkward silence as the blond and the pink haired women shared concerned glances then looked back at Soma. Before the older woman took lead with a, "soo Hi! I'm Sailor Moon and this is my daughter Sailor Small Moon."

"And this is our friend Sailor Ma..." The pink haired woman began when suddenly said woman gave a 'ha' and proceeded to slap one of those little talismans that Mina was prone to using from time to time. Both women bore this small, gold, crescent moon shape on their foreheads centered over their third eye of the brow. Which seemed to be a rather odd accent to put on when someone was going to fight anyone. Well fight anyone outside of the normal human stuff that happened in one's day to day life.

"Demon begone!" Sailor 'Ma' announced as she pinned the strip of paper to his forehead because why not...

What could 'possibly' go wrong from slapping a demon sealing talisman on a guy, who happened to be a Dark Lords', forehead. Well to be fair, what they got was Soma's vision started picking up the subtle heat waves that showed the warmth of a living body. Which sounded fun until one recalled he was on a city street and thus surrounded by heat absorbing concrete so it looked like he was standing in a harsh heat wave. He felt his fangs slide back into place and that never meant things were going to end well for him.

"Was that 'really' necessary?" Soma asked in a droll voice as he reached up and pulled the talisman off his forehead. The look the trio gave him meant his eyes must have either slit themselves, again, or turned gold, again.

"You're a vampire!" Sailor 'Ma' accused him automatically, and looked to be bracing to hit him with a fire spell.

"I'm human," he corrected on instinct.

"You have fangs," Sailor Small Moon pointed out, taking a step back from him.

"And your eyes don't look human anymore," Sailor Moon pointed out joining her daughter in backing up.

"Your daughter has pink hair, and I can't pick up any hair dye residual scent on her so it has to be natural," he countered easily. Though now that he was forced to have access to his other non human abilities he could see other things. The divine like aura about Sailor Moon and the lotus like blossom at the center of the bow she wore on her chest.

"Well, yes..." Sailor Moon admitted, reaching up and affectionately tweaking a pigtail on the other woman. The casual contact bespoke that this 'was' a mother daughter pair and that in itself was interesting as well. For the Sailor Small Moon was at least a decade or more older than Soma's current human age as well.

"You're an undead abomination and you need to die!" Sailor 'Ma' snapped and a 'Flame Sniper' was shot at him because sure, why not?

He slipped the fire resistance elemental properties of one of his armors into his outfit, even as he equipped a fire demons' soul for added protection. "I 'was' an undead abomination for a little over 900 years thanks for asking. But seeing that I was forced back into being human, would it be too much trouble to let me be 'human'?"

"He 'did' help us, Mars," Sailor Moon pointed out, casting a glance at Sailor Mars as though to suggest that the Sailor Scout try to settle down a bit.

"We didn't need his help! And he's probably the one that sent it anyways," Sailor Mars argued as she tried a cleansing fire spell. Which was doing nothing more than making the ease for which Soma could revert back to full human all the slower.

"Oh her name is Sailor 'Mars', wouldn't have guessed on my own, what between the constant fire spells and the combative personality." He snarked before growing momentarily thoughtful, "Sooo the green dressed scout with lightning must be Jupiter, but I'm blanking on the other blond... since you seem to all be named after planets."

"Oh, that's Sailor Venus, and you're right that 'was' Sailor Jupiter using lightning, Mercury couldn't make it because of her patients. Uranus and Neptune are out of the country though and they have Saturn with them and Pluto is..." Sailor Moon began cheerfully, as Mars smacked herself in the head and Small Moon proceeded to grab her mom squeaking in a fierce whisper about not blabbing about the other scouts.

"Oh, but he helped us and he seems pretty nice," Sailor Moon commented, sounding a rather endearing mix of naivety and authority. Like some naive royal, he would even venture though the fact that she had a child would imply there was a mind under the odangos. "Besides, if he really was evil, wouldn't he burn up? I mean we're in sunlight and he's not burning like a vampire would."

And there folks was the actual brain part of her.

"You're right, I'm not, because I have a human soul and haven't sold it," Soma amicably acknowledged as he internally kept pushing back the 'cleansing' so that he could once more look human. Since talking with fangs wasn't always enjoyable, they were pretty obviously there and it was always a conversation stopper. "Now if you ladies don't mind, I would like to get on with my day."

He tried to walk past them, when Mars put herself in the way causing Soma to give a resigned sigh.

"We have a duty to this world! And you're going to have to do more to prove to me you're not involved in these Youma attacks than just your say so!"

"Are you serious? How am I supposed to prove 'that'? Might as well throw me in the ocean in concrete boots as the test." Soma retorted in mild annoyance. Only to see all three women look at him with this clueless blank stare causing him to sigh. "Salem Witch Trials, you bind a woman and throw her in a pool of water, if she drowns she's innocent but dead. If she floats she's a witch and burned at the stake."

"OH!" Sailor Moon and Small Moon both had expressions of surprise and the excitement of learning something new. Albeit dark since there was a delayed reaction to the 'dark' aspect of that historical tidbit. That's when the expressions shifted to a bit uneasy one.

"Right so... unless you three can come up with something, I'm out," Soma offered and when the trio couldn't say anything he gave a slight nod before walking off. He pulled out his cellphone and reopened the saved email he was writing to send off to Arikado.

 _Reddish brown hair, nice on the eyes, and she can cook! You like sweets as I recall, so maybe you can see about finding a woman? You'd look nice with a woman on your arm, might help your cold personality. She even comes equip with lightning magic and the ability to defend herself, so its not like you'd have to protect her all the time. Though if she shows up with a long black haired woman wearing a good amount of red and smells of fire and smoke? Might want to not let her know you're not 100% human, she seems a bit racist if you get my meaning._

 _She distrusts non humans and auto assumes the worst if you don't._

 _Mina said she found a new cafe with a dessert menu only style so I figure I'm going to go and try that out tomorrow. Hopefully there won't be any interruptions like there was today, and out of curiosity. Have you ever heard of the Sailor Scouts? I've heard of them, seen some newspaper articles about them. But I honestly didn't know they were still around, for that matter, that they are, literally, still around. Like in their 50's and one has a grown daughter I guess the title gets passed down because she got listed as 'small moon'. Amazing what you find in Japan._

 _So do you feel like typing out a series of responses that makes me feel like I'm communicating with a living being? Or should I expect a near Bot like level of short answers and long bouts of aristocratic disdain for my attempt to be pleasantly sociable?_

 _The reason you are still gainfully employed as a Vampire Hunter,_

 _Cruz, Soma._

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"Mom, seriously, when will you learn not to just trust everyone you meet?" Chibi Usa asked looking over at her mom. The trio had split up so that they could find private places to power down and not attract the attention of civilians. But Chibi Usa always stuck by her mom's side when they went into battle, simply by proxy that there was only one of her. Though she did wish they could all just go to a central location after battles.

It wasn't easy being a Sailor Scout after all.

Her parents and the other scouts weren't teenagers anymore, hell neither was she! The Scouts were now in their 50's and the battles wore more and more on them. Skid marks, bruises, limping from injuries and they weren't young enough to just bounce back anymore. More over the other scouts couldn't seem to find a guy to settle long term with. She was the only, in a sense, active next generation scout and there was no team mates her age to be found.

"I hear you guys, but I can't just automatically condemn every new person I meet as being evil because of what they were born as. Just because he uses Darkness or is a Vampire, Human whatever, he deserves to be treated with an open mind." Usagi replied as she tried not to make her limp more obvious.

"But...!"

"Sweet heart I understand, but in my past life I saw first hand what happens when race or place of birth was used against them. Perhaps we could all be living in that age of peace, and I may not be a Queen but the least I can do is show the proper decorum." Usagi explained as they walked down the street towards their own respective homes. The day was so nice now, but she was long indifferent to the ability to step out of a battle and into a normal day.

The yowl of cat voices brought a halt to their conversation, as Luna, Artemis and their grown daughter Diana stood waiting for them.

"Hey guys! No need to worry about us!" Usagi greeted cheerfully as she began to bend down to pick up the trio.

Chibi Usa beat her at the act though, thanks to her mothers' slower action time due to the battle. All three cats climbed up into her arms and into their respective positions with care for their own aged joints. Their voices a constant chirp of welcome, with Luna reaching with an extended paw towards Usagi. Her once pure black fur now heavily seasoned with salt rather than pepper, but her eyes still had a feline glow of devotion.

It was less evident with Artemis, salt on white was a lost cause, but he tried to jump over to Usagi's shoulder and with a yowl missed his mark. Or maybe just couldn't do it right at that moment, his claws digging into her shirt as he tried to keep from falling to the ground.

"Artemis!" Mother and daughter cried out as Usagi swung her her shoulder closer to her daughter in a desperate attempt to give him some type of momentum to get up or at least have Chibi Usa catch him. While Luna climbed up Usagi's right shoulder and braced her hind feet on the woman's breast so that Usagi could catch Artemis as well.

Chibi Usa was able to get Artemis in her arms as Diana followed her mothers' example and quickly her dad was detached from Usagi's shoulder and was giving this embarrassed purr as Usagi took up Artemis in her arms.

"I'll call you when dinner is ready," Chibi Usa finally said in the silence while Luna switched between scolding and nuzzling the white cat. With her mothers' nod, she took Diana and herself into her home and mentally went over the recipe she would make for her parents.


	3. Chapter 3

Castle in the Sky

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

Beta By: No one

A/N: Annnd now you have some history...

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 _Dear Arikado,_

 _You're supposed to be nobility right? I don't know why particularly, but I keep getting the idea from you. And you're so single you belong on the Endangered species list right? Guess what? I found, not one, not two, but FIVE potential girlfriends for you! Just, if you don't like being slapped with a talisman every second of a day avoid the fire starter. I'm leaning hard on the one who cooks, she's tall, a tomboy, I think it would be a good match._

 _Signed,_

 _The reason why you're still a gainfully employed Vampire Hunter._

 _Soma_

Usagi walked down the street enjoying the fact that she got to see her husband again in daylight after.. Well for sleeping in and not being awake in time to make him his lunch or dinner. Thus being forced to go to his job and give him his lunch and dinner... Which, while edible, lacked Chibi Usa's beautiful craftsmanship... Usagi could only wish that she could do both at the same time. Which because of her mistake, she had been unable to go and see the rest of the scouts for lunch.

She sighed as she glanced up into the sky and watched as the clouds drifted by on another beautiful day. No attacks from Youma and only the occasional strong gust of wind that hinted there 'may' be a storm coming. It tugged at her sold deep maroon colored skirt and her powder yellow blouse, but it would be a while before it hit so for now, she could just indulge in the lovely weather.

Further down the street she could see a girl on the other side of the street, as old as Chibi Usa looked when she first arrived in their time. The girl was walking towards Usagi's direction, wearing a deep blue dress with white shoes and a large straw hat that brought back more of those memories of Chibi Usa's child self. She was walking hand in hand with her mother, her free hand invested in gripping the large balloon floating above them.

A gust of wind came rushing by once more, pulling off the hat from the child and sending it dancing through the air and into the road. Usagi heard the cry of alarm and dismay from the child and even that brought back the memories of her life in middle school. A gray cat came dashing out from the side of the road, tackling the hat and the wide brim had it flip itself over onto the cat.

Said cat began walking awkwardly back towards the sidewalk where the girl stood crying for her hat. Reaching forward those tiny fingers released the balloon into the air as a large truck made the turn and began barreling down the road. The cat was zigzagging on the road as though they couldn't figure out the exact place to go. Which made sense the cat's head was covered with the hat, but the horror that the cat was about to be killed made Usagi turn her head away on reflex.

They probably just followed their chase instinct, but as Usagi turned her eyes away they fell on a distinctly recognizable pair of cats on the same side of the road as her at the crosswalk. One black and one white, both yowling in a panic and suddenly Usagi's stomach hit her feet and she felt faint.

"Diana! No there's a truck coming! Just go!" She screamed in horror ignoring all the other observers who had stopped. The growing number who averted their eyes in that same sickening realization of the fate of that poor cat.

Only it wasn't just 'a' cat, it was 'Diana' and if anything happened to her, Chibi Usa, hell Luna and Artemis would all be crushed beyond words. She rushed to the rail in alarm the world losing its colors as Diana stopped. Undoubtedly confused by what she heard and Usagi hated her aging body that stopped her from moving to save a good friend. And the rest of the people around her would only think she was reacting to an 'animal'.

Just a 'cat'.

Decades as a Scout got her senses sharp enough to see the streak of white that dashed across the road. One minute there was a bright straw hat with a cat under it in a road about to be flatten by a truck then nothing. Frantic, Usagi began scanning the only direction she could figure that blur went and saw that guy from before. His white hair and fluffy coat making him stand out instantly, and she ran straight to him in mounting worry. The other pedestrians didn't mean anything to her as she ran around them, some stepping out of her way. Some distant part of her recognized the little girl and her family going to the crosswalk. Probably to retrieve the hat.

But the only colors was the white of Soma's hair and coat and the gray of the rest of the world as her joints argued against such running. She saw the beautiful gray of Diana's fur resting on his arm and her positively confused expression. While Soma knelt on the ground so that Luna and Artemis could reach up and check on their daughter. Usagi could hear the concerned yowls from her friends and could almost hear the cats.

Only she couldn't anymore.

Ever since their crescent moons were shattered the cats lost all ability to talk to humans.

"Oh guys! Diana don't do that to me!" She broke into a sob as she sank to her knees reaching out for Diana. Soma had the decency not to ask prying questions, and he placed the gray cat into her reaching arms without objection.

Diana rubbed her face against Usagi and gave a soft purr while only at some distant part of her mind did Usagi notice the world. She could hear Soma greet the little girl and her apologetic mother before giving back the hat. He even commented that the two elderly cats were the parents of the gray cat that nearly got ran over.

"Auntie? Auntie is the kitty ok?" The little girl asked, forcing Usagi to focus on the world around her again. She opened her tear stained eyes as she nodded, swallowing in an effort to even speak to the child.

"Yes, Diana's ok," She answered while the small girl reached out with a tiny hand to pet Diana. Her balloon was gone, but losing her hat and nearly seeing a cat nearly get killed probably made it an after thought that wouldn't be around for a bit longer. Luna and Artemis struggled their way up Usagi until they were perched on her shoulders so that they could be near Diana.

"Come on Usagi, we shouldn't take up the sidewalk like this," Soma broke into Usagi's bubble and grabbed her elbow to help her rise up.

Numb to a great deal Usagi allowed herself to stand up, and only faintly realized he was trying to take Luna off her shoulder. "Come on guys, three on one is a bit unfair. I won't bite, I promise," Soma was heard saying when Luna dug her claws into Usagi's blouse. "Actually a white cat on a white coat is less fur trouble for me..." He added before giving up on Luna and moving over to take Artemis from her shoulder.

He stayed on her left side where Artemis had been and close enough that she could lean against him occasionally when her joints protested her fear.

"Thank you so much for saving Diana! She's my daughters' cat and if something had happened to her," Usagi began babbling even as she got her wits back around her slowly.

"Don't worry about it, I'm impressed you can handle all the scolding Luna is giving you," Soma answered with a faintly amused smile on his lips. Then he raised the pitch of his voice to something higher and, "Honestly Usagi, you're a Sailor Scout, we've been through way worse before get a grip!"

Usagi stopped walking and stared at Soma with her eyes wider than they could ever have thought to get. Even the cats froze and turned to look at him in pure amazement, while he shrugged and added, "Well she sounds like that, only more choked considering its her daughter who nearly became a statistic."

"Y-y-you can hear the cats?" Usagi asked, her voice on the brink of breaking all over again for a different reason.

Soma blinked and shrugged, showing a bit of concern, "you can't? I mean they talk like they expect you to understand. But Luna sounded more like she routinely scolds you."

"I haven't been able to hear them since their Crescent Moons were destroyed... I haven't..." And somehow having to admit this broke her after the near death experience with Diana.

"Um excuse me sir?" Diana raised a paw and her voice was soft, tentative as she spoke when she saw Soma look down at her. "You 'can' hear us? How is that possible?"

Soma answered with a slight smile before shrugging, his fingers idly stroking Artemis' fur as though petting something was a norm for him. "That's a secret."

"Wow... its been ages since someone has been able to hear us..." Artemis noted, his voice was older but there were still some lighthearted inflections in it.

"You heard what Rei said about him, he's a vampire!" Luna argued only to remember that he could understand them. Suddenly covering her mouth with her paw in a bid to hold in too much.

"So firestarters' name is 'Rei' huh? I think I remember Mina mentioning something about a Priestess from a shrine by that name." Soma commented only to hear a hiccuped sob from Usagi.

"Yeah, she's a dear friend of mine, and I guess you know my secret..." She confessed with the most honest smile on her face that the Cats had seen in a long while.

It was tear stained and broken, a middle age woman who was fighting a solitary war against despair. The hopelessness that had been gnawing at her was finally beginning to surface as she walked along, blindly trusting Soma. He wouldn't put her down an alley and kill her, right?

"Well, if Rei hadn't smacked me with those talismans and forced that side of me out, then not really. But now that I know what your blood smells like," he ended the sentence with a faint shrug as he dipped his fingers down to give Artemis a scratch on the chin. Earning a purr for the effort while guiding the group towards a lone tree that held a bench under it. Just a rest stop for the elderly or a bus stop, the purpose didn't matter.

Soma sat Usagi down and looked her over better, seeing the skinned knees and the make up covered bruises that probably came from the day before. Now faded from the chaos of the near death of Diana. "Maybe one of you cats can explain things for me? I mean how does a, a what? Fifty year old woman run around in a sailor suit and fight for justice? I mean, don't you guys retire after a bit?"

"Supposedly," Artemis agreed quietly.

"She's not supposed to be fighting! She's supposed to be Neo Queen Serenity! She should be ruling the world!" Diana answered, not quiet defensive as much as sounding frustrated.

"Diana! He's a 'vampire'!" Luna chided, earning the ear dipped embarrassment from her daughter.

"That's 'Lord of Darkness and the Children of the Night', so now that all us Nobles are on the same level..." Soma answered with a mildly unimpressed shrug. "Soo, 'Neo Queen Serenity' is it?"

"No... no its just 'Chiba, Usagi'... it was 'supposed' to become Neo Queen but..." Usagi looked at him, and he never saw such a broken soul until he saw her eyes. Grief and pain, patience that gave into frustration and then burned out into despair. Even shame held its place somewhere in her eyes, and he inwardly sighed and without realizing he 'could' he gently nudged her mind to make her talk this out. After all, as any proper Spaniard would tell a person, mental health of an individual was as important as physical. And he 'seriously' wished Japan would just join the rest of the world on this matter, but whatever.

"Its supposed to be 'Neo Queen Serenity', my daughter is supposed to still look like a little girl. My husband should be a Queen Consort, and my dear friends should all still physically be teenagers!" Usagi bit her knuckle as the words began pouring out of her in a pained rush. "Instead I'm just a house wife who never sees her husband because he has to work 80 hours a week for us. My daughter is in her physical 30's. My wonderful friends are all in their 50's, never been able to marry because of me and have to hold jobs to support themselves. Can't support themselves without working. Not safe to be in a relationship because they may get targeted. My husband gets targeted occasionally and has lost several jobs because he's too busy being dangled in front of me! This is supposed to be a utopia! This is supposed to be our time of 'peace'!"

"What happened to the Future we saw when Setsuna opened the Doors of Time?!"

That almost was a wail as Usagi's head dropped into her hands, Diana stepping over to sit on Soma's lap in the last second so Usagi had both hands free.

"All the scouts are Princesses of their respective worlds, and yet... Something happened to time iself." Artemis explained quietly, his gaze going to the ground itself. "I'm actually Minako's partner, but she can't afford to keep me at her place after that one incident. So I live with my family and we all live with Usagi."

"Once upon a time my parents bore crescent moons on their foreheads that allowed them to speak and be understood by you humans. But..." Diana began when an angry huffy voice cut in.

"What did you do to Usagi you vampire!"

Soma looked up at the sky that lacked the cloud coverage to validate why a vampire would be able to be out during the day. He didn't need to look behind him, he recognized Rei's voice instantly and instead gave a slight eye roll.

"Hello, Firestarter," he replied and her being related to Mars made sooooo much sense at this point.

"Oh, Rei don't be angry! He saved Diana!" Usagi replied as she wiped away her tears quickly in a desperate bit to defuse Rei's temper.

"Are you sure?" The priestess answered in a distrustful voice, as she stormed up to the group with her white and red priestess robes. "He could have tossed her into whatever just so you 'think' he saved her."

"Rei!" Usagi replied in mild disbelief with an added dose of 'really'?

"Well I can see my presence here is no longer welcomed, so I'll see myself out into the rest of the city." Soma answered gathering up Diana as he stood up, with Artemis resting on one arm and Diana on the other. But not for long as he proceeded to pass the cat over to Rei before waving his farewells to the rest of the gang.

Leaving Rei's distrustful eyes on him until he was just a speck of white in the distance.

"Seriously Usagi, you're too trusting," she began as Usagi shook her head in denial.

"Its true, Diana chased a little girls hat, and I think she was trying to return it to her when a truck nearly ran her over." Usagi explained shuddering as the memory played back in her mind. "If he hadn't ran out into the road, we would have lost her."

Rei blinked in alarm before looking down at Diana, even if the cat couldn't speak she could still nod after all. For which the cat held a shame faced expression, "oh Diana, you're not as young as you used to be... none of us all."

"I'm sorry Rei! I'm so sorry!" Usagi burst into sobs and Rei achingly wished it was one of Usagi's old cry baby sobs. "I don't know what I did wrong. I'm so sorry for messing our future up!"

Rei rushed to the bench and sat down before she got a grip on herself, shaking her head while using the same tone of voice she normally used. "Usagi you crybaby. Its ok, whatever happened to twist it, we'll untwist it! You're going to be Queen..."

"I don't care about being Queen!" Usagi shot back as she began grinding the palm of her hand into her right eye. "I care about you guys, I care about my family! We shouldn't be fighting, we're in our 50's! You saw our future! You saw the images of yourself! That wasn't the image of a 50 year old woman! You were still a teenager. All of you were! I messed up! I ruined everything!" Usagi buried her face into her hands as the dramatic waterworks of her youth became floods in adulthood.

The cats yowled their distress at the sight of their princess breaking down in tears their cries of support and encouragement lost with their crescents. While Rei had to hold back the tears as Usagi confessed this guilt and private shame. "We don't mind," she began her normally strong voice dipping into something softer. "We're fine..."

"No, you're not! You guys deserve to be married! If we can't have Crystal Tokyo then at the least you guys should have husbands! Boyfriends... SOMETHING ANYTHING!" Usagi began screaming and Artemis and Diana both wisely climbed down so Rei could grab Usagi. This wasn't something a slap could cure. And as she began to cry as well, Rei pulled her poor Crybaby best friend into a fierce embrace and the two women sat at the bench sobbing.


	4. Chapter 4

Castle in the Sky

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

A/N: … yes I'm still working on this.

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Dear Arikado,

How many times in your life have you had random girls run up to you yelling 'Master I found you!'. I swear this question is relevant.

Signed,

The reason you're still gainfully employed as a Vampire Hunter.

Plushy Soma.

This was a thing...

When Mina had called him asking if he had any siblings he neglected to tell her about, or if his parents had more children they neglected to tell 'him' about... That confused Soma, enough so that he put down what he had been doing, spoilers chilling out, and went to the Hakuba shrine.

And now?

"MASTER! I FOUND YOU!"

Soma was completely baffled by the presence of this new comer, she was young, maybe 14? Her hair was up in a ponytail, but it looked like getting 'that' done was a hard fought battle. It had highlights of all manners of color blooming from the hair tie, so while black, it had a rainbow effect going on strong. She had the clothing sense of a girl who lived in the Shinjuku district, an almost goth-lite version of attire in bright showy colors. Petti coats and knee length skirt, no bonnet but really Soma was just blown away by both her radical appearance and the 'master' comment.

He looked at Mina with both his eyebrows visiting his hair line, while she shrugged and held her hands up helplessly. The young girl threw her arms around Soma and the second her fingers interlocked at the base of his spine. Leaving him completely caught in her arms his mind had an immediate name for this sensation.

'Castle'.

This was the 'Castle'. His mind registered it instantly that the sensation was like standing in the Master Chambers. But that was impossible, the Castle was a building, a structure hovering in a seal between the light and darkness of an eclipse. This girl... couldn't be 'the' Castle. She looked up at him with such an earnest gaze and the moment his expression registered his shocked realization she buried her face in his chest.

Mina held her hands out as though to say 'yours?'

"I don't know how you did this, and I'm honestly afraid of the answer," Soma told the top of the head before looking at Mina. With a helpless shrug he finally said, "Well the castle apparently is out of the seal..." While pointing at said girl, watching as Mina's expression went from patient confusion to horrified.

"How is that possible?" Mina asked when a sudden familiar voice called out from behind Soma.

A voice that instantly made him groan before turning to look over the thick white collar of his coat to see who stood there. Because of 'course'...

"Is that... CHAOS?!"

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The shrine grounds were serene, the trees still filled with leaves that had yet to fall to the ground, the stone paths brushed, Rei's home didn't look different. It still held the modest, dedicated charm that it had all those years ago when an ordango headed blond girl walked up the steps. The booths that sold charms still stood their grounds, as well as the pond with its koi fish. Easily out of everyone this was the one place that felt as though time had forgotten it existed and allowed everyone to be eternally 14.

While the shrine stood steadfast against change, the miko who stood amid the trees was another story. Once upon a time she had been young, a fiery young teenager who looked after the shrine with all her passion. Her connection to fire had made her a mystery among her peers and a target for rumors that often scared away potential friends.

She was never able to shake those rumors off, mostly because they 'were' true, she 'did' see visions in flames. Her abilities may have kept her isolated from the rest of society, but her Princess ensured that she, and others were never 'alone'. Hence making this particular call had been agonizing for her.

"Rei? Was it really necessary to exclude Usagi?" Ami inquired as she saw her friend and fellow scout. Giving Rei ample time to look over their world traveling doctor, Ami may not have given up being a Scout, but at the sight of her you wouldn't believe she 'was' a scout. She wore a professional dress suit in modest soft blues with a white blouse. Her own colors as the Princess of Mercury down played heavily since blue was not always an ideal 'healing' color. Indeed a good number of times Ami now wore bright golden scarves around her neck to evoke health or healing.

"I'll talk about it when the others arrive, I promise Ami. Until then you look great! How's it been in Africa this month?" Rei asked, still amused that that Soldier of Ice was sent to such a naturally hot place. Just 'how' was Ami coping?

"Hot, but we just got a new hospital established so I'm going to be reassigned soon I hope. Someplace less heated," Ami answered with a modest laugh. "Also had to put down some angry spirits because someone desecrated a local graveyard. But the spirits put the fear in those teens so I don't think they'll ever do 'that' again."

Rei had to laugh, being a priestess, regardless of the Religion she understood the importance of respecting the dead. That Ami knew what would work as a good opener for a chat showed how well she had grown at engaging and socializing with people.

"I 'thought' I recognized that hair!"

Both women started and looked back at the gate to see the Outer Scouts standing at the top of the stairs. Haruka arm and arm with Michiru, Hotaru on Michiru's left side with Setsuna in the front. All dressed elegantly, all in subdued colors of their own respective planets, and all elderly comparatively speaking.

Haruka was beaming though, she looked over Ami with an approving gaze while Michiru gave a polite smile and brief nod to the Inner Scouts.

"I believe I saw Makoto driving in with Minako in the passenger side when we turned the corner. So they may be here soon on their own." Hotaru mentioned as the quartet joined the pair under the thick green leaves of the trees on the shrine grounds.

"I do confess to my confusion about this meeting though, why call it without Princess Serenity?" Michiru asked once they were close enough that she didn't have to raise her voice to be heard.

Rei's lips tightened into a straight line as she looked at the Princess of Neptune, "I'm going to wait until the others arrive. Honestly, I want to only talk about this once, it... it just hurts too much to keep bringing it up, even to update everyone on whats going on."

"Its about the Queen, isn't it?" Setsuna asked quietly, her tone knowing and remorseful at the same time. Causing the other Outer scouts to look at her in surprise and mounting concern, 'Queen'?

"Yeah... Guys... its Usagi..." Rei spoke the words like they were shattered glass. But any words she was going to say was stolen by another voice.

"Guys! We got an emergency! Usagi just called!" Makotos' voice cut through all the starting conversations as she reached the top of the steps alone. "Chaos has returned to earth!"

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"Hi Usagi!" Soma gave a slight wave towards the Blond as an even larger number of women crowded the entrance to the Hakuba shrine.

"Soma, she's dangerous! You need to get away from her!" Usagi called out in concern, while Rei merely scowled at Soma.

"I know... but well this is going to get awkward..." Soma confessed as he sighed, his gaze dropping down to the girl at his chest. "Do you have a name I can call you or do I just call you what you are?" He asked finally.

"Ms. Hino? Its both a surprise and an honor to have you visit the Hakuba shrine," Mina stammered out in what was clearly growing into a hostile situation. The Miko in question didn't even spare Mina a glance, though a short blue haired woman in a light blue business suit, as well as a pair of long blond haired women, spared her a reassuring smile and wave.

"Rei! Answer the girl," Minako nudged Rei as she noticed Usagi seemed more distracted by how easily all of the scouts got together so fast. After they all had lied about their schedules and inability to have their group lunch. Rei never got the chance to explain the reason for the subterfuge and now Minako was starting to feel anxious.

"I see that," Rei huffed, "however the Hakuba shrine is a shrine of purification and sealing. That there's a vampire and 'chaos incarnate' here? I think that takes a lot more of priority of my attention."

"Are you threatening my master?!" the girl in question demanded in a huff turning her head to the side so she could glare at said scout.

"MASTER?!" All the scouts exclaimed in disbelief, some louder than others.

"What? Are you some sicko in a sex trafficking group, too?!" Rei demanded developing a self righteous tone.

"You know what? I'm going to duck tape that mouth of yours shut, Rei. Every time you've spoken you've blown up whatever is going on way more than what it is!" Soma retorted in frustration when the girl suddenly produced a roll of the desired tape out of thin air.

"Here Master!" The girl in question held up the roll earning wide eyed disbelieving looks from a good number of the scouts and Mina.

"Wall Turkey..." Soma grumbled as he covered his face with his hand and signed deeply.

"What?" Makoto asked as her head tilted to the side in bafflement.

"Wall turkey. When I was in the Castle there were times when I would break walls and find food or hidden away areas..." Soma explained almost flat in his tone as he stood there.

"In me," the girl clarified only to get Soma to stare down at her in horror.

"Do not 'ever' put it that way!" He blurted out in a barely restrained shocked tone.

While all the other girls nodded, their eyes huge and cheeks red given the context of what the stranger just said.

"But you were!" She pouted in mounting distress.

"When you were a 'castle' when you were a 'building', you look like a girl you can't say stuff like that without me sounding like some sick monster!" Soma explained as he rubbed his face, hoo boy...

"You still 'are' a sick monster," Rei pointed out while Haruka chuckled at all the lewd going on.

"But how is that possible? You say she's a 'castle' but that's clearly a girl, is she an embodiment of the spirit of this castle?" Ami inquired as she tried to get a better look at this supposed being of chaos.

"Well if its Chaos, then that's how. It wouldn't be chaos if it stayed only in one state," Hotaru explained thoughtfully. "Even we're in a constant state of change, its part of nature after all."

"She gets it, unlike the rest of you idiots," the girl, castle, whatever, noted aloud.

"Why would a Castle turn itself into a girl though?" Makoto asked folding her arms across her chest as she leaned back thoughtfully.

"Why not? The seal is boring and I wanted to be with Master so I skipped out!" The girl pouted returning her grip around Soma's waist.

"You're an abomination!" Rei pointed out accusatory in tone at the girl for which Haruka had to nod.

"She's right, your presence is a threat to existence," Haruka remarked while Michiru released her grip on Haruka's arm.

"Uh guys? Civilians?" Chibi Usa whispered in disbelief that everyone was just going to forget about the priestesses standing on the other side of Soma.

"She's probably brainwashed," Michiru explained quietly despite the sudden deep frown on Soma's face at that.

"How am 'I' a threat? You're literally a gang advocating universal stagnation!" The girl argued back releasing Soma, only to stand between him and the scouts.

"That... sounds a lot like what the Black Moon Family had been about," Minako remarked thoughtfully.

While Setsuna shook her head slowly, her eyes discreetly focusing on the Princess and the growing distress on Usagi's face. The princess had yet to say a 'word' really. "We need to settle down everyone."

"What? You going to transform? I can do that too!" the girl taunted earning an alarmed expression from both Soma and Mina.

"Hold up, you can't change back into a Castle on the shrine!" Soma argued before Mina could even form the words, but yes.

"Huh?" The girl turned just enough to look up at Soma before shaking her head. "Nah, like this!"

"CHAOS POWER MAKE UP!"

'… that's it... I quit life.' Soma thought as the girl shot her right hand up in the air and was consumed by a dark swirl of rainbow colors. Because 'why not'.

The rainbow had a decided egg shape to it and grew as Soma watched, until it dispersed revealing the girl was now dressed in a sailor suit with her hair having exploded out of the pony tail flowing down her back in thick waves. From behind all Soma could see was the skirt and collar which were both black with an ever changing sheen of colors and she was now monstrously huge!

Which meant he was close enough to nearly upskirt her so he desperately turned to look at something else. When he realized that 'everyone' now looked bigger than him, causing him to look down at his hands...

"This is impossible," Usagi commented for the first time since she arrived. "It should be centuries before you're able to return."

"Nope, its just like you wanted," the girl commented confidently. "'I want my life to never change', those were your words. And the Cauldron answered to respect that. The universe is free from the stagnation you tried to inflict with your eternal life spans and unchanging universe. And you keep the stagnation!" The girl explained with her arms across her chest and her expression smug.

The scouts grew alarmed at what the new scout had proclaimed, turning as one to check on Usagi as the statement was something they could easily see as effecting the woman. Which it clearly did. Usagi had turned white, the color draining from her face even her lips. Her body lost all strength and she began to sway where she stood.

"Mom?" Chibi Usa, who was already standing by her mothers' side, moved even closer as the other inner scouts followed suit.

Usagi turned, almost like a gear, feeling each bone grind as she turned to look at her daughter, her eyes catching sight of all the other scouts. There was no color in the world, only the shapes told her who she saw at all. Even then the weight of the universe telling her that she was right.. she ruined 'everything' crashed down into a sea of darkness.


	5. Chapter 5

Castle in the Sky

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

As per request

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The Scouts rushed to their princess in alarm their cries mixing with Chibi Usa's as Chibi Usa caught her mom midcollapse and began easing the woman to the shrine grounds.

Ami was already in doctor mode, grabbing Usagi's wrist and checking for a pulse, fumbling for a flashlight to check for dilation in Usagi's pupils. And while the Inner Scouts fussed over Usagi the Outer Scouts were at a loss. The appropriate response should have been to threaten Soma, only...

"Soma this is your fault get your pet Chaos...!...Where?" Rei began in a fury getting to her feet and whirling around to the last location she had seen Soma.

Only there was no tall white haired teenager in a white, fluffy collared pimp coat and her instinct to yell a challenge was suddenly choked out at the disappearance of the Vampire Lord.

"Uh... Soma? What happened?"

Makoto asked that, her tone baffled and confused but that she seemed to see where the vampire was made Rei turn to look at her fellow scout. Hoping to glean a direction to shift her gaze towards she noted the baffled, almost amused, expression on Makoto's face and... that it was aiming... 'down'?

Concerned Rei turned her gaze in the same direction and found herself startled by what was standing before her. Where Soma once stood was... a plush toy that looked like Soma? One that was busy shoving a toy cellphone into its coat before looking at its hands...

"Soma?"

The doll turned to look up at Rei before switching its focus onto Makoto; a slender line that served as its mouth began to dip into a frown while the bowl shaped blue eyes turned into full blue glassy dots.

"Why are you all giants?" the doll asked in Soma's voice while question marks began to float into existence and upwards into the air before disappearing.

"Um.. we're not. You shrank into a stuffed toy," Minako explained, her tone delicate as she looked over Usagi's prone form.

Meanwhile; the 'Sailor of Chaos' as it were, had stars in her eyes as she rushed over scooping up the Soma plushy. "Don't worry Master, I'll always protect you!"

Soma's plushy limbs began flailing in desperation as though he wished to escape what was quickly turning into a suffocating hug.

"You both are a threat to all of existence... you know that right?" Haruka asked, her arms folded across her chest. She knew she should have been reaching for her transformation pen, but she wasn't a blind fool and her age against these two? Even with all the Scouts in their youth they had barely pushed 'back' Chaos. Not defeated it. Now in their age? They would mostly get killed by a particularly strong sneeze and then what would happen to the world?

Yet for all that Hotaru was as calm as ever, there was no sign of the Saturn, no indication that she was about to transform herself. But did that mean there was no chance that they could win a battle against Chaos? So was this a sign of resignation to the end of the world, or that the pair weren't going to do anything that would warrant the return of Sailor Saturn?

Sailor Chaos turned around to face Haruka stubbornly with a frown and narrowed eyed look, "I'm a natural part of the universal order, unlike you time freezing sorts."

Where as Soma's left plush hand suddenly produced a sign that held nothing but a large green check mark.

"Ahh, should I go get a glass of water?" Mina asked moving a bit to the side so she could be seen by Ami. Her hands were clasped before her in concern for Usagi and when Ami gave a brief nod and encouraging, professional, smile, Mina left to go into the residential part of the shrine.

"So what you're saying is that the Princess inadvertently worded a desire in such a way that we've been forced to remain like this?" Michiru asked, her gaze focused more on Setsuna. After all who better than the Sailor Scout who guarded the Door of Time to clarify matters like this? Through out the years as the events that lead to Usagi's ascension as Neo Queen Serenity failed to appear. It had become a strained topic of discussions during meals.

It felt almost liberating to finally get an answer out of the woman to be honest.

"I... did not wish for that to be the case," Setsuna confessed slowly as she made her way to Usagi's side, though she didn't try to penetrate the protective inner circle that shielded their princess. "I kept waiting for our Small Lady to run through the doors looking to escape her scolding..." And with that comment her eyes thoughtfully fell upon Chibi Usa.

While it was true, she was the spitting image of the Black Lady only with the kindest of eyes, and named after her mother, this woman was not 'her' Small Lady. The bond and friendship that she held with that little princess never came to be. For this princess was never raised in a palace and expected to be lady like. She never froze in age and stayed a small child, instead growing like any other natural woman would.

And yet she had all the best traits of her parents, the calm, collected maturity of her father, and the loving heart of her mother. Truly she would be a wonderful queen if but given the chance to rule. But she wasn't 'the' Small Lady, and that fact just killed Setsuna inside. Every time she looked through the timeline and saw 'this' Chibi Usa transform she felt as though she looked at a pretender, a usurper.

The shame that she would feel such thoughts against the daughter of the royal family felt like bitter poison and made leaving her usual position all the harder.

Chibi Usa looked up at her in confusion, reminding Setsuna that no one spoke of Chibi Usa's 'future' self to the young princess. That there had been a rule not to do so because they didn't want to affect her 'future' and the expectations that would lead into the Dark Moon Family. Only that never happened, thus this Chibi Usa might as well been a sister to the other, sharing only a name and appearance.

"Forgive us, we had faith that a series of events would come to pass. But when they failed to do so," Setsuna began while Usagi began to shake.

"Its all my fault... Everything, every scrape, wound... Oh sweet heart I'm so sorry I'm a terrible mother aren't I?" Usagi began curling up on herself, covering her face with her hands as she began to sob.

Replace 'mother' with 'daughter' and Setsuna felt her heart seize up as she heard her precious Small Lady crying.

"Mother! Its not your fault!" Chibi Usa protested as she hugged her mom, while the other inner scouts reacted as well.

As they all looked to Rei, wondering why she didn't dive in to help try to comfort Usagi it was the most heart wrenching expression one could ever imagine on Rei's face. Her eyes were glassy, with tears beginning to pool, her lips pinched as though holding back words. But it was all there as loud as though she was screaming the thoughts.

'Help me!'

There was this acidic weight in their stomachs as the women began to understand 'why' Rei had insisted that they meet up without Usagi. The guilt in the woman's eyes were of someone who knew this was a situation and at a loss of what to do. That she called for them, for a 'meeting' when in reality she was calling in a desperate bid for help to figure out what to do.

That Rei, the closest of all the Inner Scouts to their princess, was at a loss and 'begging' for help only reinforced how bad the situation 'was'. Her eyes began to close as she felt the tears she fought to suppress begin to slide down her cheeks. "You idiot... I told you to stop saying that..."

Her voice hitched as she rushed over and began hugging Usagi. It did no good though, Usagi's apologizes became more profuse, louder, and broken as she blamed herself for everything. She was becoming hysterical, and even when Mina arrived with the desired tall glass of water, Usagi was no longer seemed aware of her surroundings.

Ami's worried expression didn't ease at the presence of the water, though she nodded her gratitude and attempted to pull Usagi's hands from her face so she could drink. "Usagi, here why not take a sip of water?" She offered gently her professionalism the only thing keeping her from tearing up at this.

Soma barely managed to get out of Sailor Chaos' embrace as he walked over, quietly observant at how everything looked when one was a small plush toy. Despite how Rei acted towards him, Usagi was clearly a good, kind woman who didn't deserve this grief that consumed her. Despite his plush form he could smell the anguish coming off her in waves that consumed the other scouts.

"Everyone should be living in peace, happy, and instead there are still wars. People are still dying, monsters still come seeking to destroy everything we've fought so hard to protect. All because I haven't been able to ascend as queen because of what I said... Everyone is suffering because of me!" Usagi wailed and that was the statement that caused Soma to decide he had enough.

This wasn't good, this was Japan and she 'seriously' needed a mental health care provider for what she had gone through. Thing was, how did one go to 'anyone' in such a field and start 'that' particular question?

'Hi! I'm Sailor Moon and I defend the world from terrible evils. But I'm now depressed and want to talk about whats in my head.'

Yeah no, that wasn't happening anymore than it did for Soma. Though, as Soma walked closer to the group that was now wholly invested on their Princess, Soma 'did' have several luxuries she wasn't privy to. For example, he was a reincarnated evil, even if he came back without the desire for world domination, he was still capable of doing so. Thus everyone 'had' to listen to him, dissect his words and struggle to make sure that he didn't snap like a twig.

But Usagi was never evil, and given the eclectic nature of women, she seemed to have been the center of their world. And thus now the problem, because the more she struggled to say what was in her heart and mind, the more everyone discredited it. It was understandable to have them upset and not want to hear her beat herself up. But saying 'its not your fault' or 'stop crying' was not an answer. It pushed her own feelings aside, passively saying her view of the situation was wrong, that 'she' was wrong and would silence her further.

What she needed was some cold hard logic and damn it.

Because while it was true, she was taking the blame for far more than she should, by simply invalidating her feelings without supporting evidence was useless.

So if no one else was going to do it...

He moved behind Rei, because why not, and double jumped his way up onto her shoulders, resting his hands on the top of her head. The fire scout froze at the sudden sensation of someone on her shoulders and head. Before he did another leap sending himself into the air, twisting so he could face Usagi on landing.

And amid the cries of the startled scouts who weren't really sure what to do, he 'was' a plush toy now. He grabbed Usagi's hands with his plushy own and pulled them down, forcing her face to come out from behind its shield.

"Usagi, I want you to listen to me. I get that this was originally supposed to be some type of immortal utopia and that something happened to stop it from coming about when you were younger. And I understand that there 'are' people who die everyday to crimes or war or sickness that probably still would be alive had you ascended to this throne."

"Hey stop that!" Minako argued reaching for Soma to pull him away. Only she stopped when Usagi opened her eyes and looked at him, that she was 'reacting' well... that was a positive... right?

But it wasn't as though any of the scouts had experience with vampires or having their minds rolled via one right?

"But that doesn't make you a bad person, and while there are people who may have died because of this. There are far more who are 'alive' because of this change. Even if they weren't alive in the future you saw, they are still people. Their lives still have value and importance and even if they're not from this fabled future of yours. They're every bit as important as those lives, so don't just see the loss, because it wasn't all loss."

Usagi sat there looking Soma with her eyes sparkling with tears, but there was recognition of words, acknowledgment of insight and wisdom. Then a pink pigtail draped itself over his white fluffy shoulder bringing her eyes up to Chibi Usa. And the weight of his words took on more meaning because this was 'not' the Chibi Usa she knew as a teenager, this was one of those 'lives that still have value'. And she was taken back to the day in the hospital when the nurse placed the little pink haired bundle in her arms.

The precious weight that would one day become the back talking little brat that drove Usagi nuts when she was a teenager herself. And when Chibi Usa opened her pinkish red eyes for the first time Usagi fell in love. Still foolishly believing that the future was set in stone she gave her precious daughter the same name as the girl she met years before. The same nickname, the same stuff that she knew that the baby would fall in love with. Because once Usagi became queen she wouldn't have as much time to spend with this beautiful bundle.

Giving this new life a per-established identity without proper thought that perhaps this girl would be different. Until Neo Crystal Tokyo never happened and she realized that Chibi Usa was aging like a normal person. Until she found herself waiting for the Chibi Usa she met years ago and that she really didn't know 'this' girl in front of her. And suddenly she felt like she was behind the eight ball, scrambling to connect with this child and not try to connect to another child through this one.

Suddenly having private conversations with the other scouts to stop them from reinforcing the idea that Chibi Usa wasn't the person they were 'really' talking to. The gut punching horror that this 'wasn't' their Sailor Chibi Moon in the making.

It was words that resonated with all of them, making all of them look at the Pink haired member of their group. Bringing back the deep shame as the then eight year old was suddenly a girl they all hated. As though she was some evil monster that replaced their Chibi Usa in the womb and took over. But she was never the 'Small Lady' she was never given a reason to feel pushed aside because of royal duties. When they got to understand who Chibi Usa 'was' there was a sense of rhyme and reason to her.

'Small Usagi' was a call back to the time in Neo Queen Serenity's life when she was just a simple girl living her normal life. Not the hailed queen of the solar system. Instead by Usagi never becoming queen the reason for giving the girl the name was lost. Becoming nothing more than the female version of a junior or senior naming style.

And this Chibi Usa was really nothing like the future one, she was so much more like her mother. Clumsy, friendly, loving, open hearted to all and without any of the scars that burdened the one they were waiting for. Yet her scouts never appeared, instead she fought along side the older scouts with no one her own age. And her personality so in line with her mothers' made the other scouts resent her for being so wonderful.

They wanted their flawed Chibi Usa with her failed attempts to do attacks, this Usagi just seemed to prove that the future they were all waiting for wasn't coming...

Usagi reached out and grabbed her daughter, pulling Chibi Usa into a tight hug sobbing into her daughters' shoulder. All the while Chibi Usa murmured reassurances in a loving, gentle voice.

"Ack... a little help here?" Soma asked, what with Usagi thoughtlessly catching the plushed Vampire Lord and pinning him into this hug. His poor neck trapped at Usagi's elbow wedge and his hands were flailing for help. His glassy blue eyes were larger than normal and his plush hands kept making grasping gestures.

And while Sailor Chaos seemed more than happy to help she seemed a bit concerned on 'how' she could help. After all, it was a hug and hugs weren't inherently bad yet how to free the master?

Minako knelt there feeling drained and seeing Soma struggle, she reached over and pinched her fingers like a birds beak before lowering it towards his head.

"Hey... what's that..." Soma began as the hand got closer to his head. "You're seriously not trying to shove me down are you?" he asked while Sailor Chaos grabbed his hands ready to help Minako liberate the Dark Lord.

"This is Dark Lord abuse..." Soma commented before he was suddenly shoved down.


	6. Chapter 6

Castle in the Sky

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

A/N: MORE CHIBI SOMA PLUSHY ACTION! …. He so hates me...

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 _Soma,_

 _Too often as of the 21_ _st_ _century. What have you done?_

The email was not signed off with a signature, but with snark like that who 'else' could possibly send that as a message?

 _To Arikado,_

 _Why does it have to be something 'I' have done? The last two times were because people were doing things 'to' me. And I'll have you know that your attempt to seal away the castle has officially failed in the most spectacular fashion I can think of._

 _Signed,_

 _The reason you're still gainfully employed as a vampire hunter._

 _Plushy Soma_

"Why are these messages all adding the 'plushy'?" Soma asked as he looked down at his felt phone, his bowl shape eyes and inverted v shaped mouth showing his deep thoughts. He hung like a plush doll from the Castles' arms, now fully free from Usagi's arms.

Makoto had departed to assist Mina in making some light snacks for the sudden group on the temple grounds. Everyone had moved themselves so they were out of the way from the front of the Shrine. Settling themselves near some trees and why in the name of God wasn't the Castle turning itself back into a normal girl rather than a freaking SAILOR SCOUT?!

"Maybe because you are?" Hotaru offered thoughtfully as she took in his adorable plushy face. "I mean, you're more emotive now than you are as a person, the signs and other things appear randomly to help you express yourself even. And now you have felt tears pouring out of your eyes," she she added as his expressions shifted through her attempt to rationalize it.

"Someone make her change back into a person..." Soma whimpered as he seemed to deflate. But as he deflated she noted how the weather felt shifted, the sky had been cloudless, but now there was a single white cloud in all the bright blue sky.

"Usagi, I hate to say the Vampire is right," Rei began when Soma's voice rose over her in a cry of 'Stop calling me that!'. "We've protected the world a great deal, sure some how the toy got through, but apparently he's someone else's problem."

"I'm not a toy! And that's only because you can't handle me at my best you walking match stick!" Soma shouted back with the sky seemingly answering by providing him another cloud.

Meanwhile some distance away so they could speak privately among themselves...

"So basically you waited for Chibi Usa to show up after the wedding," Haruka clarified as she and Michiru stood under a healthy green tree with Setsuna.

"Like the Princess, I too, looked for the day that the Small Lady would arrive. I never looked in the time stream to see what had happened. Taking everything based on faith, until," with that even Setsuna found her voice lacked the strength to continue.

'Until that time she was needed and met this Chibi Usa', felt too cruel. Watching the Princess sob into her daughters' arms, made Setsuna quietly burn with the same shame that consumed all the others in the group.

"What do we do now then? We've wasted all this time expecting a pattern that never came about. Should we even bother to try and find the Asteroid Scouts? Wouldn't their age already put them at the same as Chibi Usa?" Michiru asked as she brought out her Mirror and began gazing into it thoughtfully.

The question was left hanging while the rest of the Scouts stayed near Usagi, who had yet to release her daughters' hand from her own.

"You know Rei, Soma's been a big help to me..." Usagi pointed out, again.

Minako and Ami exchanged glances at the growing stare down going on between Rei and Soma before shifting their gaze to the rather radical scout among them.

"So... do you have a name? I mean we can't just call you 'castle' or 'Sailor Chaos' in public..." Minako pointed out in some vain effort to establish something more normal.

"For that matter how does an inorganic Castle become an Organic person? Chaos or not," Ami followed up promptly behind Minako's own inquiries with her own. With that, Ami stood up with her computer already in hand and began trying to figure out what this girl 'was' exactly.

Sailor Chaos blinked at Minako since the idea of having a name never crossed her mind. "Well, how would you name 'me' I'm a creature of Chaos. Its never in a fixed state or the very nature of 'Chaos' would be lost. So if I don't want to be a castle than I'm not," she stated simply. Giving the scouts something to mentally work with.

After all she was a creature 'of' Chaos, not Chaos itself, therefore pretty much more of the same of what they had fought for years. Created agents of Chaos that threw the world into disorder, though one that seemed willingly tethered to Soma. Not only willingly tethered but tethered in the form of castle so there had to be something that tied the castle to Soma. Which clearly was the whole 'Vampire Lord of Darkness' thing that Soma was rocking.

"But why are you 'here'?" Ami asked as she took in what life readings she could get off the strange girl.

"She was here for years actually," Soma pipped up though he kept his eyes glued on Reis'. "She was the Castle of Dracula in Europe. Then got sealed away off the planet all together, in fact the last time I heard about her as a Castle was..." Soma developed more question marks over his head that suddenly straightened into exclamation marks. "That's right, Fortner was talking about how she was weakening..."

"Weakening?" Ami noted, her tone almost absently doctorish as she continued pressing the keys on her computer.

"Weakening?" Rei repeated thoughtfully dropping the staring contest so she could study the Scout before her. "So... she was dying?"

Sailor Chaos promptly pulled up Soma so she could hide her lower face behind his head while glaring in an aggressive manner towards Rei for the statement.

"Seems to be it," Chibi Usa commented with a slight tilt of her head. "But that makes sense, she was dying and needed to get back to what keeps her alive. We'd all do that so that's no surprise, and she hasn't done anything 'bad' so..." Chibi Usa's eyes went to the sky as she tried to think of what she would do if 'she' were this castle, before she lowered her red eye gaze to focus more on the Scout. "You really aren't aligned to any side are you? I mean, you're created by Chaos, but that doesn't mean you have an actual alignment so... I guess its safe to say you just want to be around your Master so you can sustain yourself huh?"

Sailor Chaos gave a slight nod, her eyes disappearing behind the white fluff of Soma's hair as she did so. "Master destroyed the thing that links me to Chaos properly, I only have Darkness as my solid connection now and Master who is my source left so..."

"So maybe you should be 'Sailor Darkness', instead?" Usagi offered thoughtfully while Soma's eyes changed to look like threaded eyelashes.

"You know its one thing to run away from a demon filled piece of real estate, but now that you're in this form. I feel like an ass for running off, and I shouldn't. I don't want to go back to being evil!" Soma grumped out, his hands tapping an irregular beat on the Scouts' glove covered arm. While overhead a few clouds began to drift lazily over the sun.

"Well maybe you shouldn't be a vampire," Rei pointed out sharply while Usagi facepalmed.

"How about I take a bite out of you!" Soma began, slipping away from the Chaos Scout and launching himself at Rei.

The Princess of Mars raised her arm up in defense only to have Soma somehow manage to latch on. He had these felt fangs that rested over her arm and she could feel the rest of his felt mouth texture against her arm. His eyes had turned gold, but there was no pain to the bite, after all, how could there be when it was a mouth of felt? Causing her to cock her eyebrow up in mocking ridicule at the plushed out Vampire Lord.

Then the sucking sound began.

It was the noisy sound of someone sucking the very last drop of soda out of a can. That sharp, very unmusical, unlord like 'slurp, slurp' sound that got everyone in ear shot to look.

Rei's eyes turned huge while Soma's eyes shifted into the shape of an evil smile, "he's feeding! I told you he's evil! Get off me you demon!" She began shaking her arm up and down to shake herself free while Minako and Ami bracketed her with mutual 'really Rei' expressions on their faces.

Minako grabbed Soma, and apparently that was all it took to free Reis' arm while Ami took said sucked up on arm to check for any damage. While also holding the woman in place as Rei struggled to get one of her Ofuda's out to deal with Soma. But interestingly enough there was no clear signs of bites on Rei's arm. Just two small red marks as though she had been bitten by a small and relatively harmless pair of bugs.

"Does it hurt when I touch it?" She asked in full doctor mode, ignoring Rei's demands to be released.

When something magical happened, despite the clouds that had congregated over the Shrine the angrier Soma had gotten from Rei's verbal attacks. Those clouds suddenly dispersed, allowing shafts of golden light to filter down again onto the shrine seemingly from just the sound the Scouts had not heard in decades.

Usagi was laughing.

It was a 'Usagi Laugh' the type she gave when they were 14, full of love and happiness, the overwhelming abundance of joy that was uniquely Usagi herself. The laugh of a woman who didn't care to be the best in school, or the most beautiful, who was happy with who she was and the most happy when surrounded by her loved ones.

Be them family or friends.

And why shouldn't she laugh? The shrine was different, but as she sat there Usagi saw their 14 year old selves all over again. Adult attire was replaced with Middle School uniforms, the professional expressions of business women was replaced with the worn expressions of exasperation. There were no jobs outside the shrine walls, all that existed was this moment a bunch of 14 year olds hung out and laughed. Comical and warm, so filled with love and light that she shoved the modern world away and for a moment retreated back to that golden time in their lives.

Her laughter causing the others to stop and study her in surprise before looking at what they were doing. While the Outer Scouts may have been lost to their older adult problems, the Inner Scouts found themselves realizing the ludicrous situation. Princesses one and all, protectors of the world, and they were fussing and arguing like they were kids again all because of Rei's obsession with a Dark Lord.

Suddenly hating Soma felt foolish, even to Rei, the weight of the years they had lived slipped away. And once more they were teenagers enjoying a day out, even the presence of a 'Sailor Chaos' weighed less. All because Usagi was laughing. Just the sound of her laugh, one they hadn't heard since Chibi Usa's infancy seemed to shake off the shackles of their never ending struggle. The little aches and pains that went with always having another battle to fight slipped away. Leaving all the Inner Scouts to share in the laughter, old friends laughing in the light of the sun.

Only to be interrupted by Mina's voice that sang out into the air. "We're back! And its delicious!" In her hands was a tray filled with cups and a teapot with Makoto following behind with a tray that held a large pile of riceballs and sandwiches. Whatever emotional response Makoto may have held given Usagi's outburst was tamed by the calming chance to lose herself in cooking it seemed.

And Mina was just a new friend, Soma too, new friends who were brought into their fold via their clumsy, loving Usagi. Mina labored under the tray for only a little bit as she approached the Inner Scouts. Each Scout taking up a drink for themselves while Makoto followed behind, taking in the much better atmosphere that the grounds exuded.

Until she reached Soma and that's when things got interesting.

The plush Soma was standing on a plush gorgon head that was balanced on a stick. Allowing him to be able to just peek over the tray and see what Makoto had made. His eyes had turned back blue, but they were also reflecting a rice ball at the moment. "They look good, wish I could have one..." He finally spoke in a mournful tone as he turned to give Sailor Chaos a dirty look.

"Well, take one..." Makoto offered though she wasn't exactly sure what good that would do, personally.

"You drank blood, you should be able to eat a Rice Ball," Hotaru pointed out pragmatically.

Which automatically got Makoto's attention, "you drank 'what'?!"

"She started it," Soma answered absently as he reached up and took a rice ball into his hands. Which, given his new size, was about half the size of a bowling ball. Only to turn into a felt made rice ball, that couldn't possibly be eaten. Right?

"You're crying again," Chibi Usa pointed out, while Makoto freed up one hand and poked his cheek.

"Its wet... your tears are wet despite being... well a toy now." Makoto noticed with some awe in her voice as she rubbed her index finger with her thumb.

"Maybe you should try eating the rice ball... despite your tiny little mouth and its proportionally huge rice ball." Haruka suggested as she walked over, picking up a small sandwich for Michiru and a rice ball for herself. "Makoto is a great cook, seems a shame to miss out just because you're a plush toy."

Soma hesitated for a moment, he honestly didn't want a mouth full of felt. But the blood 'did' taste like blood once he drank it. So he brought the rice ball close to his face and took a tentative 'bite', with his mouth popping open.

"oh! The rice ball has a bite mark in it now!" Mina noted in surprise, as Minako leaned over and nodded.

"Sure is!"

While Soma found himself with a small amount of warm rice in his mouth, not felt. Pleased he began chewing his way through the rice and then took a bigger bite out of the ball. His eyes turned into arches of happiness, his cheeks puffed up, every sign given that he was happy.

"How are you hungry? You drank blood from Rei after all," Ami inquired leaning over in curiosity to exam Soma's eating process.

"I didn't drink a lot, just enough to get my point across. Besides this tastes a lot better than Rei, she tastes like flat hot sauce you find in a restaurant." Soma answered, merrily eating his rice ball...

"I can punt him over the wall and to the ground below, just give me one shot!" Rei growled as she tried to get past Minako and Ami who were now both holding her back.

Usagi was giggling with her daughter, when her eyes caught sight of something, or rather some'one' that would just reinforce the whole '14 year old teenage girl' air of the place. Causing her to lightly tap on her daughters' hand and get Chibi Usa to look over at the front gates of the Shrine.

"Hold the phone... Who is 'that'?" Chibi Usa asked as her eyes got wide taking in the black clad, raven haired man who had just finished ascending the stairs. The other scouts blinked and looked around and one could almost hear the low whistling that took place. Tall, slender, hair immaculately groomed, skin clear of any blemish, and in an elegant formal business suit.

"Hi Mr. Arikado!"


	7. Chapter 7

Castle in the Sky

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

A/N: These have been rare chapters, allowing a continued narration, but it 'will' go back to moments in time... this was never meant to be a full fanfic after all.

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Soma turned, peering over the top of his riceball to confirm if Mina was actually greeting Arikado. Finding that he wasn't really sure how to handle the situation now that the proverbial cat was out of the bag. Sure the messages being sent to Arikado kept putting in the word 'plushy' but that didn't mean Soma wanted the Guardian to show up and see it for himself.

He watched as Arikado coolie scanned the grounds, taking in all the women before settling his eyes on Soma. When his eyes dipped down and locked with Soma's, one elegant black eyebrow rose up as the only sign of his surprise.

"Young Master!" Sailor Chaos called out with a cheerful wave. Earning multiple looks of surprise as the scouts managed to look away from the new comer before returning their gaze back on the hottie.

Soma included in the surprise as he found himself asking aloud, "how is he 'young' when he's older than me?" Only then he recalled the 'other' part of his existence and shook his head. "Never mind I get it."

"Well he 'is' your son," Sailor Chaos casually answered promptly, her voice overriding his 'never mind'.

And because she wasn't facing Soma, she didn't see the expression on the guys' face. But she 'did' catch the shocked looks as everyone turned to look at her, then down at Soma.

Which made sense because said person's big blue glass like eyes had turned into swirls, smoke was puffing out of the sides of his head, and he had question and exclamation marks dancing around his head. Coupled with his cheeks puffed out from being mid bite, and that he was now swaying it was pretty clear that Soma was as clueless to 'this' revelation as the rest of the girls in the group.

"And you would be?" Arikado asked, completely dismissing every other person and zeroing in on the slip of a girl who would know 'that' bit about him. He began walking towards Sailor Chaos and Soma with the intensity and focus of a hunter. His tone was as cold and efficient as a sword of ice, cutting away any potential chatter. And his fixation on those two was giving every other princess a chance to enjoy the sight.

Black business suit with a sheen of high quality fabric, with a white shirt underneath the coat and a vivid red kerchief peeking out of the front chest pocket. His shoes were polished and there wasn't a wrinkle in anything he wore. While his face was a chilled beauty, not thick or corded with muscle more like a refined statue from some long ago sculptor. His hair was a deep brown on the boarder of black that flowed thick down just past his neck and near his shoulder blades. Not a hair out of place, or a blemish to mar perfection, he could have been a master sculptors' greatest work.

A manifestation of perfection of human flesh made a living person.

He didn't need bulky huge muscles, or scars to indicate power or control, he moved with the expectation that others obey him on command. But that he was supposedly the 'son' of Soma and that Soma was a Vampire it raised a question about what he was. After all, if he was also a Vampire than how was he out in the day? Soma made sense because he was human now, and had to bring out the vampire attributes. Or have Rei smack him with an ofuda.

Sailor Chaos shrugged nervously, moving back a bit closer to Soma, "I'm your Fathers' Castle."

"The Castle."

She nodded and Soma made no effort to step out and face his Guardian.

"And you took this form and came here because."

"I want to be with Master."

"I want a word with you Soma." Arikado announced ignoring the Castle's reply, crossing his arms and looking down where Soma stood. Treating Sailor Chaos like she no longer existed and that he could see the plush Dark Lord.

"Can we discuss the fact that apparently I'm your father?" Soma asked as he stepped out, begrudgingly. He stood there with his half eaten riceball and his mouth in a small frown.

"No."

"Hey you said you would tell me everything about the Castle, back when we first were in it!" Soma protested as Arikado watched him like a hawk, showing no emotion to the fact that he was looking at a toy version of his father.

"You asked 'about the Castle' you never once asked about myself, and I am not an accessory to the structure." Arikado retorted shortly, before turning his steps away from the crowd of humans and towards the other side of the Shrine.

Soma looked down at his half eaten rice ball, then towards Mina and Makoto who had the drinks and extra food. His lips turned into a wavy line before sighing, "save me a sandwich and drink!" he called out before turning to walk after one of his grumpy guardians. "I'll have you know I wrote you and you never replied..." Soma began as a warning for any potential accusations he was about to receive.

"The castle itself, turned itself into a Sailor Scout so it could escape the seal... You realize this is your fault." Arikado began, his irritation evident in his voice, as he turned to face the plush version of Dracula and glared down at said Plush.

"No she turned into a normal girl who can change into a Sailor Scout. And how is it 'my' fault that she did this?" Soma corrected before demanding an explanation while taking another bite out of his rice ball. At least then he wouldn't say anything that he might regret, given this constant run of 'everything is your fault' issues.

"She got the idea of transforming from 'someone' and given she didn't appear until today and you've had a pair of encounters with those scouts. Encounters that show off the use of transforming ones form and that you are more empathetic to the suffering of human like life forms..." Arikado began earning a vibrating white eyebrow on Soma.

"Oh sure, everything is my fault!" Soma finally exploded, "well in that case I'm going to go and sulk, at least 'then' I shouldn't be doing anything that results in world destruction!" Soma cried out in offended outrage. Though as a viewer, watching a stuffed toy that stood almost waist high, stalk across the shrine grounds while taking an angry bite out of a large felt rice ball was hilarious.

Soma threw himself under a tree, taking more angry bites out of the rice ball with angry puffs of smoke rising up from him. While Arikado fixated his attention back onto Sailor Chaos who had made her way to Makoto and was sampling a rice ball herself. Though the moment Arikado laid his eyes on her, she proceed to give a shiver as though she sensed it.

"Like father like son, they're both nice on the eyes," Minako muttered as she accepted a cup from Mina. Who nodded, her lips tight in a straight line but her eyes bright with amusement.

"I would never have realized they were related though..." Mina confessed as Rei took another cup.

"Surprise..." Rei answered in a tone normally reserved for low whistles.

"Father and son... hmmm..." Michiru noted as she reached the small group and took a cup for herself and one for Haruka.

"But it seems inverted, the son oversees the father," Hotaru noted as she approached with a sandwich in her hand. "Though Soma seems to lack memories so more than likely his son looks after him for his own safety... eeep.."

Hotaru had looked over at Arikado and caught his clearly displeased expression, and realized that he was a 'Vampire' prince. Regardless of how he was out and about during the day, he apparently had heighten senses and could... hear them...

Oh dear.

"Ladies I believe we're being rude..." Hotaru muttered, with a slight head tilt towards Arikado.

Mina jerked her head around just to see the look and gave a small embarrassed squeak of dismay. Before shrinking herself down further, while the other princesses proceeded to zip their lips.

The Prince in the group however...

"So you're the prince of Vampires," Haruka turned and walked towards Arikado in all casualness.

Arikado didn't answer beyond a small nod of the head while Usagi finally opted to climb to her feet. Only to have Soma's voice carry over in that same huffy angry tone he had started to develop. "I don't hear you answering! Were you raised in a barn?!"

The retort earned a few raised eyebrows and Haruka actually gave a small twist of the lips to indicate her own sympathetic amusement over the situation. Her expression turning sympathetic as she saw Arikado's expression darken in irritation towards the tree where Soma was sitting with notably less felt rice ball.

"Are you involved in this conversation?" Arikado coldly inquired, though he didn't raise his voice by much, trusting that Soma could hear him.

"Are you going to continue addressing royalty like they are a bunch of commoners? You're in the presence of royalty and a Priestess in Training, act like you were raised to know how to behave!" Soma shot back glaring at Arikado with his plushy face doing its best to look infuriated.

Arikado stiffened at the sudden disciplining he was receiving from Soma, partly because it was 'Soma' who was too young to remember proper European nobility training. While the other part being that because of what Soma 'was' and because he was angry, Soma's order was triggering the 'Power of Dominance' aspect of his abilities. Forcing Arikado to have to actually 'obey'.

Some days it didn't pay to get out of the coffin.

"I fail to see a proper receiving line so I can do such a thing," Arikado retorted, his voice cold enough to put a rim of frost on the cups that Mina had been carrying.

Makoto blinked and deciding maybe, while it was odd for 'her' to do this, it was more Usagi's thing, she needed to take charge. Hoisting the tray a little higher she moved a bit into Arikado's frame of view so he would notice her.

"Well, we're all reincarnations of princesses if that helps any... That's Tenou, Haruka who is the Princess of Uranus, and her spouse Tenou, Michiru she's the one with the light green hair and the Princess of Neptune. Next to her is with the long dark hair Meiou, Setsuna the princess of Pluto, and the younger one next to her is Tomoe, Hotaru; the Princess of Saturn. Then theres', Hino, Rei who is the..." Makoto began when Soma cut her off.

"Trigger happy fire starter with black hair and tastes like knock off hot sauce!"

"YOU WANT TO FIGHT?!" Rei shot back waving a fist in fury at Soma.

"Princess of Mars," Makoto continued with her eyes closed, "Aino, Minako is the Princess of Venus and she's the blond... Then there's Mizuno, Ami our resident doctor and Princess of Mercury. And that leaves our superiors, the Chibas, our Usagi who is the Princess of the Moon and her daughter who we call 'Chibi Usa' since well, her name is also 'Usagi'." Makoto finished giving a soft sigh at the long list of introductions.

Each woman nodded as their names were spoken in turn helping place a name with the face, with Usagi adding an almost mournful, "Though all our kingdoms were destroyed... so titles and receiving lines seem a bit much." But despite the tone she gave a polite bow of the head.

"You forgot yourself, Makoto..." Chibi Usa pointed out with a slight grin on her face.

It caused Makoto to blink in embarrassment before she began to balance the tray on one hand, as she recalled from numerous European customers that they shook hands. Thus she stuck out her own hand with a big smile and added, "and I'm Kino, Makoto, the princess of Jupiter!"

Arikado took the hand and held her hand by her fingers, before giving a slight bow over her hand his dark hair slipping down and brushed against her bare skin. Despite the many battles she had taken, somehow it made her feel like her skin was still as smooth as when she was in her teens. "My lady, please accept my gratitude that you would handle introductions."

Haruka had to hold in the laughter, as she watched Makoto suddenly freeze up in surprise, her eyes grew wide and a luminous blush took over the Soldier of Jupiter.

Suddenly Sailor Chaos cleared her throat as she straightened herself up her tone taking on the type one would expect of a Major Domo. "And you ladies are in the esteemed presence of the King of Darkness, the Lord of the Children of the Night, the immortal king of all those shunned by the light of Day for not being 'human'. Lord Dracula, though in his current form he goes publicly by 'Cruz, Soma' While here before you stands his son and heir, Prince of Darkness, Prince of Vampires, the oldest of Vampire Hunters-..."

"So Soma is Satan?" Rei asked cutting into Sailor Chaos' introduction causing her to stumble to a halt.

"I AM NOT!" Soma shouted as Sailor Chaos also shook her head.

"No, Satan is the king of 'Evil', the Master is the King of 'Darkness' I totally understand the confusion. But the Master is only like, a 'count' on the social ranking of evil, and well he's not particularly 'evil' at the moment so I thought to just drop that." Sailor Chaos explained as Arikado straightened himself.

At least he didn't have to explain that he didn't want his true name spoken in the presence of others.

Though the second he released Makotos' hand and turned his attention away from her, Haruka took the tray away from the girl. Grinning wickedly the whole time at the young maiden like blush on the poor Princess.

Ami, for her part, had been idly turning around when she caught sight of Soma sitting under the tree. He no longer had clouds angry, the clouds had frowns on their 'faces', white clouds over his head that came off more like smoke from a fire. Now, instead, he had a large rain cloud hanging over his head with felt rain drops falling on his head. Curious about this strange display of Plushydom, she walked over and with her hands on her knees she leaned over.

"Are you ok Soma?" She asked politely in her medically professional voice noting that he had those felt streams of tears coming down his face again while he ate.

"Oh... I'm fine..." he answered as he continued to eat until he had only two remaining clumps of his original rice ball in his hands. "I just was thinking of how Arikado has been since we first met since I started living this life..."

Soma's mouth turned into wavy lines before he suddenly developed a pair of large streams of felt shooting into arcs from his eyes. Apparently to indicate that he was in a seriously emotionally wrecked state, "I must have been a horrible father for him to turn out this way. So cold, calculating and rude!"

The professional responses denying such a harsh self assessment died on her lips as she tried to think of 'something' to say. After all he 'was' a Vampire Lord, a rank of Evil, and his son from his past life was an admitted Vampire 'Hunter'. Meaning that he must have done 'something' to turn Arikado against his own father right? To say that Ami felt like she was suddenly presented with a metaphorical hand grenade with the pin missing would have been most accurate.

Arikado turned to look at the pair and mentally growled at how Soma behaved before turning his attention onto this... 'sailor scout' thing that was supposed to be the castle. "Change back."

Sailor Chaos looked at Arikado in quiet concern, clearly weighing something in her mind before sighing. "Well you 'are' here and that means you have to protect the Master if these crazy scouts get trigger happy... sooo..." And with that she, disgruntle in posture, turned back into the girl that Soma had encountered the moment she introduced herself to him.

He turned his gaze back to where Soma sat watching as Soma faded out like a memory only to come back into focus as a HUMAN and not a stuffed toy. The transformation seemed to startle Ami a bit as she straightened up since Soma wasn't so close to the ground anymore and she didn't have to bend down so low to be close to his eye level.

So there was solid correlation. If the girl transformed into Sailor Chaos, Soma was going to transform into a plushy. Day just kept getting better and better...


	8. Chapter 8

Castle in the Sky

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

A/N: Sooo about Filks, that was the term used years ago for when you took a pre established song and change the lyrics... **Cough** don't judge.

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 _Hello Darkness my old friend.._

 _I've come to talk with you again._

 _For I was caught quietly sleeping._

 _I'm now a plush and trapped in a cage, reading._

 _A God damn birdcage, I'm enraged, this book is big..._

 _Can't turn a page..._

 _And the scouts are being violent..._

Soma sent the email off to Arikado as he sat trapped in a bird cage clearly meant for one of the larger pet bird species. His plush legs tucked under him, he put his phone down on the right, next to his legs. Though now he was being forced to paw at the page to turn it like some uncivilized lower life form. He couldn't hold it on his lap without crushing his legs, thus the book didn't plushy up like he did. Leaving him trapped with this large book in front of him and forced to try and slide each page open. Not an easy task by any stretch of the human imagination when he lacked fingers or a moist tongue.

This was just pure abuse.

At least it didn't block his vision of what was going on outside the cage in case his input was needed. Though he was angry enough to not bother giving it if asked. Seeing that he had been in the middle of a nice, comfortable nap when all this mess began. Made worse by the fact that somehow, 'somehow', his castle had been lead to believe that Soma was in danger. Thus transforming into her scout form and forcing him into plushdom.

Again.

So while the Sailor Scouts fought for truth and love and whatever else they felt up to fighting for today. Soma sat in a large birdcage that did nothing more than allow him to sit on his knees, with this large book of names in front of him, one he already had been going through. His plush hands kept sliding against the page before him as he struggled to turn the sheet. He looked like some stupid animal pawing at the edge of a sliding door in an effort for escape.

Because his own plush hands were now too big and finger lacking to open his cage up... Not to mention trying to climb out that tiny hole, or force open the bottom to drop so he could fall. Nope, he was in a portion of hell itself. And if he was going to be stuck in it, he was going to torture Arikado for kicks. But first, turning the page to the book he had picked up earlier that day before falling asleep mid read.

Since he couldn't call his castle... well... 'castle', but she gave herself a mix blood appearance and people learned English in school. He wasn't going to fool 'anyone' if she introduced herself as that, as opposed to her sailor form. At least 'then' she had something of normal type of name, sorta... for a scout.

"Come on... Come on!" Soma muttered to himself as he finally got the sheets to move, though getting 'one' page versus several was still in question. He couldn't see the little red felt tongue he now supported sticking out of his mouth and against his upper lip space. Nor could he see the huge raging monster that terrorized the city that the scouts were dealing with. His eyes were strictly for those slender sheets of paper that, finally, parted enough that he could push and look at a new page.

Giving him a chance to sit back and relax before picking up his phone again, because multitasking was a thing.

 _Stuck in this cage I swing alone._

 _Hanging above a cauldron boiling hard_

 _Wondering why my life's gone so wack._

 _I turned the page and now I'm mailing back._

 _When I realized that my state could have had me in a sack_

 _and left on a busy turn pike totally flattened, jack._

He put the phone back down before going through the names listed in the book before him, while still feeling a little off about having to even 'do' this. Really he was trying to give a human name to what was normally a very large structure meant for living in. A Castle that seemed rather devoted to him, but more willing to oblige his 'childs' request.

His child.

Soma still wasn't sure how to process the fact that he had a 'son', a dhampire of short tempered demeanor. While at the same time Soma was struck curious about what Arikados' 'real' name was. After all Arikado was European obviously, so the Japanese name was clearly made up. In fact now that he was name hunting he was forced to realize how 'blatant' the name was. An illusion with horns, couldn't be more obvious now that he thought on it. Arikado was a dhampire, hence horns, and his whole agent thing was a disguise, an illusion.

Sometimes Soma wondered why he couldn't just have a normal functioning brain.

Then he opened his mouth and tried to reassemble Arikado's name the night before and got struck by one thing. Switching the 'r' with an 'l' and then all those old B rated movies came back to him, turning 'Arikado' into 'Alucard'.

And while he wanted to prod the dhampire for being cheeky, there was this strange core of emotion he couldn't name that didn't want to pester the man over the matter.

And so he typed.

 _And from this vantage I did saw!_

 _Many lovely ladies in a row!_

 _Fighting for Justice with their hearts bleeding_

 _Stuck in an eternal war unceasing_

 _Future dreams torn asunder and left drifting_

 _And no one cares_

 _While I remain, encaged in silence._

But even 'that' name seemed irrational, Soma was confident that even 'he' wouldn't vainly name his child that. So Arikado 'had' to have yet 'another' name and it was turning into a curiosity born itch that wouldn't stop bugging him. So Soma settled his attention on the castle who was...

For which then Soma finally turned his gaze from the book and his phone to check and see what the scouts 'were' doing. All but Hotaru was out on the field, then again she was apparently a world ender scout so, sidelines she did sit. Though it would have been more appreciative if she had at least bothered to rescue Soma.

Just saying.

They weren't fighting another one of those single purpose monsters this time it seemed. The monster they started off with was dead now apparently and there was this guy. A guy who was positively grandstanding material and Soma had a wary fear that he might have been as hammy back when he was Dracula. If no other clue save that he found himself listening to the guys' original speech and critiquing it.

Seriously Soma? You're critiquing a guy's speech on why he was going to end the Sailor Scouts? What were you like 'before'? Maybe that was the thing, perhaps the whole 'Alucard' thing was to show that Arikado wasn't a walking Ham Master... a 'Hamster' if you would. For which the mental image of a large black hair, puffy, fluffy hamster came to mind. And it was an image enough that Soma was done by then. He couldn't handle the image and started cracking up, covering his mouth with his right hand while he slapped his plushy thigh with his left.

Arikado was going to kill him one day. But at least Soma would have the last laugh! He was going to die with that mental image in his head, take that son of his! Amid the hilarious tears in his plush felt eyes, Soma resumed the task of scanning the names listed on the baby name book. Letting the reality that he was essentially attempting to name his castle settle in causing him to calm down. At least a little bit.

Amazingly enough she wasn't very odd either, he expected some highly eccentric behavior certainly, she was dressed as a Goth for pity's sake! But she was mostly just overly protective of him, and when it came to things she didn't know off hand, she just played up an overtly cute personality so someone would help her. For the life of him he didn't really know which was worse because of that.

Her demeanor and form made it difficult to near impossible to treat her like she 'was' the structure. It was one thing to order a room to do as he commanded, it was another thing completely to order a girl standing there looking at you. Depending on your presence for her very survival, to say 'go back to the seal and die' was not something he found he could do.

Going back to the castle and living in it was impossible, he enjoyed the freedom he had living outside among the living. But now he was conflicted over the fact that he was condemning her to a slow death. Especially since she admitted she didn't have access to the Chaos she needed to normally survive the time between his resurrections. Which given he didn't want another resurrection or reincarnation meant she would waste away and die. Or become the den of some other raging lunatic, paging Graham and Ceilia.

 _Foolish humans did not know_

 _The fact that I wanted off that throne_

 _Hear my words so they might reach you_

 _Take my arms, and let me go to school_

 _But my protests rebounded in silence between their skulls_

 _And their lives ended, in senseless violence._

Then there were the Sailor Scouts.

Here were a bunch of women who he only recently got to know, and though he had never done anything to 'them'. What with the war on the moon kingdom happening LONG before he was even born, finally something that happened that predated him by a large margin. It felt terrible to see them in this situation, in their 50's, no spouses, save those two pairs. No children of their own, putting their lives on the line fighting villains because of one throw away line Usagi said.

Somehow it felt like she was being held far and away beyond responsible for something that happened. Honestly, the fact that it was not just 'her' but her whole court that was being punished was enough to make him frown in quiet disappointment. Mostly because her court 'was' loyal and dedicated to her that this just expanded the number of people who suffered. There was bound to be people who would have been more than happy to be married to any one of the women.

But these thoughts were useless when one was trapped in the form of a plush toy, sitting in a large bird cage hanging over a potential pit of death. And with resignation in his heart, Soma returned back to his book of baby names and his cellphone. Because sooner or later, Arikado was going to reply to all the ridiculous lyrics he had been emailing.

By actually sending back a reply message or cut the cord holding Soma suspended in the air sending him to his untimely death. Soma wasn't putting it past Arikado with what he knew now. Dad is a brat so of course son inherited the brat gene. It was how science worked. Either way, he was going to get himself out of this cage, by hook or by crook.

Sending out his hand he gave a careless swipe of the book, expecting the pages to ignore his plush appendage only to watch as the pages turned. A good chunk in fact, skipping many potential names and leaving him rather disheartened. After all he didn't want to skip pages, there was always a chance that a good name was somewhere in them. Only it wasn't like he had any reason to give a serious struggle over the matter and with a quiet resigned, puff of felt sigh. He resumed trying to find a proper name for his Castle.

"She's not a boat... how hard can this be? I named Arikado after all..." He growled to himself as he started looking at the offered names.

Well he and his 'wife' named Arikado.

 _But these people bowed prayed_

 _To the unchanging expectations of me they made._

 _Its not like I didn't give a warning_

 _That I didn't want to come back and just go on, do your thing_

 _They held signs held read; Darwin's law is in effect_

 _Do you best, to keep our organs smeared across the castle walls._

Before Soma could finish coming up with a suitable final line for his email to Arikado he heard a very discreet clearing of the throat. The voice was small, when compared to a human child it was positively tiny. Causing Soma to look up and around, catching sight of a pair of fairy wings fluttering above the top of the book he had.

So he lifted himself up a bit and behind the book was a pair of fairies, one in a bright green dress and another in a light blue dress. Between the two of them, they carried a plain white envelop that was almost as wide as either of them was tall.

"Ah excuse us Great Master, but we have a message from the Young Master for you..." The Green Fairy began.

"He mentioned your, situation, and thought the two of us with actual hands would prove more useful," the blue clad Fairy added.

Soma blinked and gave a nod watching as the pair began fussing open the envelop and produced a sheet of paper. The Fairies worked neatly as they unfolded the letter and passed it through the cage. Allowing Soma to grab the sheet and with a bit of work pin it against the book he had been reading from.

 _Soma,_

 _The only part of the song that I like is the title when its 'you' preforming._

 _Signed,_

 _Arikado, Genya._

"That letter didn't take long," Soma noted as he looked back at the Fairies who had slid the envelop into the cage and were busy working to get the door to the cage open. All the while thinking 'There it is! The brat gene I 'knew' would be passable!' Soma thought as he shut the book and sent it away back into the proverbial hammer space.

The fairies didn't answer him, then again they 'were' trying to pick a lock with magically summoned tools. "Do we not have a skeleton key?" He asked as he tried to see what they were doing. The question caused the pair to stop and look up at him in confusion, "you want us to pick up a skeleton?" They both asked their voices sounding rather unsure since skeletons were rather large...

"No... You know... a skeleton key, a key that can unlock any door?" Soma asked when he suddenly remembered the method of locking doors in Celia's castle involved making sigils in the air. While his own castle was more rewarding, all he had to do was make it 'to' the door, well save that one door that required a moonwalk.

What kind of Castle did he 'own'?! Well he could ask her when the battle for the safety of the world was over he supposed. He leaned over and checked to see what was going on...

Oh... all the scouts save both Moons and Chaos were dead.

Joy.


	9. Chapter 9

Castle in the Sky: The fan fic someone 'actually' wanted.

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

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'I just want to be normal again. If I was normal I could beat this idiot on my own!' Soma thought as he hung in what was typically considered a 'choke hold'. Typical in the sense that Soma was still a plush doll and now in the arms of the Ham Lord that Moon had been facing off against.

Usagi was laboring for breath, her face was stained with dirt, made wet by tears, her normally pristine sailor suit dirty and ragged, the wings torn to dragging like the fallen flag of an army. Once more counting on the Crystal to bring back her friends undoubtedly. But fortunately the Fairies that Alucard had sent to Soma were being useful, providing Life Apples and potions to the fallen Scouts.

But Soma being treated like a shield to keep Usagi from fighting back and Soma was no one's shield! He was also with only plush forms of his normal methods of dealing with aggressive enemies. So he mentally went through all the souls he had and began mentally listing all of the souls he could think of that might actually be of use even if plushed.

Though given how long it had been since he had a meal he did have 'one' soul he could call upon. With Succubus called upon he opened his little mouth and latched on with his felt fangs like he did when he bit Rei. And unlike that bitter old maid, this blood was rather delicious with all the excitement coursing through the man's veins. And the virginity. Plenty of Virginity and Darkness in this one, slurp slurp.

Said Ham Master looked like an 18 year old human with long wavy hair and all in all would have looked attractive Soma figured. Ham Masters' uniform was a rich shade of red with gold accents leaving Soma wondering why so many seemed to dislike silver. In his own opinion silver worked better on any dark color since it was more visible and had a better shine. Even black looked better with silver, gold just looked more accommodating. Only to remember that thing about silver bullets and werewolves... Welp...

Slurp.

'I'm so bored... is this what women go through when waiting to be rescued by the hero in stories? Or was there an undercurrent of fear of sexual assault that kept them from being bored... Probably the undercurrent. I mean if I didn't have a resting 'fuck off' face I'm sure I'd get more than what I normally get in overly determined 'invitations'. That's right, didn't Usagi mention being 14 when she started doing this gig... wow...'

Slurp.

'14... wearing what amounts to a leotard and tiny skirt... I can imagine the horny male demographic's fixation on them. Maybe I shouldn't be so hard on Rei... Maybe that's why she's so distrustful of me. Not because I'm the Dark Lord, but because she's been hit on by enough guys that she just auto assumes anyone with a dominant personality and is male is a threat... This is depressing... maybe I should think of something else...'

Slurp, slurp.

Soma dangled there when his thoughts turned back to his son, and an idea suddenly struck him hard enough to manifest a felt light bulb above his head.

"What? What is this?" Pyrite asked staring down at the felt light bulb as he braced his feet a little better. The plush Lord he had captured was doing something he couldn't see and in irritation he grabbed the plushy and held the doll up for examination.

Noting that Soma was now holding a felt funnel and an felt milk jug.

"What do you think you're doing?" Pyrite demanded as he squinted at the plush doll to help himself focus. Noting distantly that the doll now had gold eyes and fangs sticking out of his mouth.

Soma held up the items while his large gold colored, jeweled eyes were halved from above with eyelids, who then answered in pure deadpanned. "I have a son to feed, now I need your arm."

Suddenly the woozy feeling that had begun assailing Pyrite made sense. This wasn't just 'the Dark Lord' this was 'the VAMPIRE Dark Lord', a realization that made him throw Soma away from him in a panic as he realized that he was being drained of his own blood.

Sailor Chaos rushed forward catching Soma in her arms as he bemoaned aloud...

"I have a greater respect for the common masses in their struggle to feed their young."

"The Young Master won't appreciate the Great Master referring to him in such a manner, he 'will' protest that he is an adult." The fairies noted warily given Dracula's history of emotional self control. Or lack there of.

"I have a greater respect for the single parents among the common masses who try to support their brood only to be treated with such scorn." Soma replied in annoyance, with the funnel and milk jug still dangling from his hands.

"Now that you don't have Master anymore I can finally do something!" Sailor Chaos boasted while Soma developed a red 'x' on his head.

"Please to not be calling me 'master'... People won't understand..." Soma groaned, now if only someone gave half a damn to listen to him when he talked.

Meanwhile Hotaru braved coming out of hiding and dashed as quickly as she could ducking around jagged boulders created by the battle. Already Sailor Chaos had proven to be a great asset in battle, her power was far more versatile and not assigned to any one particular element. That it was also Soma's power also lent for a display of what Soma could possibly do.

And that was rather frightening when one thought on it, for some of her attacks were as strong as several of the scouts combined. But she wasn't going to change back with Soma in the danger zone, and she was 'only' helping the Scouts because Soma was supporting the Scouts. If she had a choice, Hotaru would have preferred that Soma was helping the Princesses. His power was expansive, limited only by his will and he cared for the Scouts because he was actually compassionate.

She caught up to Sailor Chaos and held her arms out for the Plush Soma,"Ah here... Give him to me."

But defensively Sailor Chaos pulled her arms in tighter refusing to give up Soma like a five year old with her favorite plush toy. Her face was set with a determined frown while Soma reached for Hotaru like a child, hands holding funnel and jug, still reaching out to her. "Let me go with Hotaru, you help Sailor Moon, Sailor Chaos!" Soma ordered over the almost mewling sounds of protest from his Castle.

"But Master!" She whined as Pyrite seeing the distraction sent a blast of energy towards the trio.

"GUYS PAY ATTENTION!" Jupiter shouted as she and Uranus put themselves in the way of the blast. If not for the amount of blood Soma had already fed on the blast would have easily slammed pair into the trio standing there.

"Potion!" One of the fairies, honestly Soma didn't care which, called out as it soared towards Jupiter to render aid.

"Sailor Chaos, stop giving me sass, go help Sailor Moon and I'll stay with Hotaru, and that is 'final'." Soma finally ordered with all the imposing force a plush toy could muster. Even with the felt funnel and jug in his hands and his narrowed eyed stare while regretting not coming up with a name for her 'still'.

Sailor Chaos looked down at her Master in distress, aware of the command he had issued and seriously 'not' wanting to be sent away. He had refrained from ordering her back into the seal and she didn't want to push 'that' particular button. So despite the fact she was here to protect 'him', she gave a disgruntle shove, shoving him into Hotoru's arms and turned around to join Sailor Moon against Pyrite.

Hotaru held Soma to her chest as she watched the 14 year old appearing Scout, who should have been a hated enemy, run up to fight along side her princess.

"Soooo we can talk about names to give Sailor Chaos so I can stop calling her 'Castle', or we can talk about maybe hooking Jupiter up with Arikado. Since I got to eat some of her cooking yesterday and I want that woman in my life somewhere, she's a God send master chef. Or we can talk about your breasts because you've just shoved my head between them. Feel free to pick the topic of your choice," Soma deadpanned.

Who would have thought someone like Soma could instantly make Hotaru forget she was Sailor Saturn, forget her position among the scouts, or her very age and react like a typical schoolgirl.. But shoving Soma an arms length away from her.

Where a pair of icy blue glass eyes stared at her.

"Thank you."

"I apologize," She ran off back into hiding with Soma in her arms. Though she did turn him around so he faced forward as she hugged him.

"So this is the stuff that goes on from time to time..." Soma commented as they ran, taking in the destruction around them. "And here I always thought that someone was filming a movie."

"Well yes, people often have ways of coping with mass devastation and large groups passing out or such." Hotaru agreed as she returned to where she had been hiding, heaving breaths of air as her weaken body began protesting.

"Are you ok?" Soma finally asked looking up at her and his funnel disappeared as he reached up to brush her face with his plush hand. "Seriously."

Hotaru gave a rueful smile amid her hard breathing, "I'll be fine, its the trade off for the amount of power I possess as Sailor Saturn." She explained before putting him down as she tried to catch her breath. And somehow the fact that she was leaning against a chunk of concrete while facing a small, sentient, plush toy that was looking up at her struck her as amusing.

Soma had his hands back in his pockets and his felt expression was one of as much concern as one could display on a felt face. "Is that why you're not taking part in this battle?"

She gave a half smile and shook her head, "the power of Saturn is only to be used to end the world." She explained quietly, swallowing painfully though her breathing was slowing down a notch closer to normal speeds.

"So basically he's not worth the power you wield," Soma elaborated with a snicker and his mouth twisted up to express his amusement over the situation. He walked over to take a look at the battle, and now that he was no longer in the way, the girls seemed to be holding better. Especially with Chaos working more to help Sailor Moon. "He tastes good, fine quality of blood right there."

"Soma," she scolded gently, though her voice was amused all the same. "Honestly I thought my heart would stop the moment I saw your eyes turn gold."

"What? I was hungry, stuck in a bird cage and then dragged into a plushy toy hold. I have a right to eat when food is presented before me!" Soma argued with his eyebrows wiggling and his expression one of high amusement despite the lofty seriousness of his voice. Had Soma been given a mirror he wouldn't have said anything.

"Oh come now... If you wanted out... I'm sure there's a toy way to escape..." She offered folding her arms across her chest with a small smile of her own on her face. Only to watch as he began shaking his head 'no'.

"Not really, I tried, but everything is soft and felt like. The cage wasn't something I could eat or wear so it went uneffected. Though Arikado's fairies busted me out so it worked out in the end," Soma explained with a faint shrug. "But I guess it could be worse, I tend to use the Plushy as a decoy not a form to transform 'into'. At least its not doing what it normally does and attracting every non human towards me to attack."

"Well that's one way to look on the bright side," Hotaru agreed, surprised to learn that this form of Soma's wasn't completely out of the blue, rather just reassigned. "Though if I may ask, how does the world not know about the Dark Children or yourself?" She asked refraining from commenting on the Crystal.

"Oh well that's what the Catholic Church does, apparently," Soma amicably confessed before climbing up to sit next to her. "Like the Men in Black in fact."

"Oh I remember when that movie came out... before the reboots at least," Hotaru noted thinking back when she was a kid growing up with Haruka and Michiru.

"I might have if I hadn't been killed... again..." Soma noted before his head cocked a bit to the side. "Then again though, its not as though I left the castle all that much, so I don't know, the Castle never seemed the type of place to find a wide screen tv. Though there was a world war from what I understand as several armies tried to take me on. I even found some zombie soldiers in the Castle..."

"Oh, 'that' was you," Hotaru noted as though recalling something. "I remember seeing it when I was little, it was referred to as a natural disaster. Apparently something 'happened' that required the armed forces to arrive. Then the disaster hit and wiped out the army," she explained tapping her chin lightly as she remembered that day. She recalled Mama Michiru discussing it with Papa Haruka and Mama Setsuna, wondering if it was in their 'jurisdiction'.

"Well I don't remember what happened that day, remembering anything tends to give me a headache. Too many years and memories," Soma noted as he looked up at her. "So... do the girls ever try to off you out of hand for what you are?"

Hotaru blinked in surprise at the question before giving a slight shrug, "I'm not supposed to become active until the end of a world. Ideally that means I'm only born when the world is about to end in the sense of old age. However; well... you see what's been going on I'm sure, and it happens with quite the frequency."

"Yeah... kinda like my life now that there are those who know about me. Either they're trying to force me back to being a Dark Lord, or trying to kill me so someone else can assume the position. And its not like I'm fighting to stop them from taking my spot. Just that when they show up they make very much sure that I know they're threatening my friends." Soma explained resting his face against one hand. "I mean, seriously here, I'm not fighting to stay the Dark Lord, just leave my friends alone and its fine. Do whatever, just don't act surprise when I show up and shove a sword into you."

'Death and destruction here... heh,' Hotaru inwardly chuckled as she lightly patted Soma on the back out of sympathy. When she was originally reborn she knew nothing about Sailor Saturn, then everything involving Mistress 9 and later Sailor Galaxia happened...

"But you do remember 'some' things, right?" She asked for clarification recalling how he casually spoke of the past before. A large explosion from the battle behind them rocking the ground and the wall behind them. But once the sound settled back to something more manageable, Soma resumed his end of the conversation.

"Yes, a lot of it is more emotions though, like I remember the emotions it involves and I go from there. If I can figure out the exact emotion I can follow it to the thoughts that I had and thus memory." Soma explained, "But its not like that's how I use the souls I gather, that is a different type of thought process."

Then as Hotaru sat there, Soma began shuffling closer so they were plush shoulder to rib cage, "say... Hotaru... how did Setsuna take it when Pluto was declassified as a planet?"

Hotaru froze in place, then her eyes began sliding closed as her lips twisted into a pinched kind of smile. She didn't say anything at first, the memory of Setsuna out shopping when station surfing on the tv produced 'that' bit of info. "We say nothing. Not a single scout breathed a 'word' of this to Setsuna, deciding it was far and away better to 'not' upset someone who had the gates of time at her disposal."

"Gates of Time?" Soma repeated for clarification.

"She guards the Gates of Time, so people can't change history," Hotaru explained.

"But... you girls clearly got screwed over by something!" Soma pointed out, earning a tight lipped remorseful smile from the Sailor Scout.

"That's an abuse of power."

'Hi, 'Abuse of power' is literally the description for a lot of the things I've done in my life...' Soma 'almost' said.

Almost.


	10. Chapter 10

Castle in the Sky

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

A/N: whoops forgot about this chapter...

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"So without the core of Chaos you can only survive if I stay in..." Soma sighed as he continued to try and think of a way to say 'Stay in you, the Castle' without it sounding like he was a raging pedo.

Said Castle looked up at him with the same level of adoration she normally gave him when he wasn't trying to make her let him spend time with someone else. She sat looking down at the fruit and chocolate parfait that she manifested between her hands before handing it to him. On the one hand she had been brought to life by his previous incarnation. A living castle who found their identity in service to their creator god. Free via the Chaos core to take what shape it wanted, and striving to take on the forms that pleased its God.

But with Soma things were decidedly different.

He was still her God, she lived by his will so the destruction of the core and his departure had struck as abandonment and a death sentence. The scouts had given her a chance to make her case and bring herself out of the seal and to his side. Where she found just standing near him, bathed in his shadows did wonders in sustaining her. Absorbing the darkness from his shadow like a flower absorbed the sun.

Even better she wasn't being pushed away like she had originally feared, so long as she looked human she found he was more tolerant of her! "Well yes, for the most part. You gave me life after my old master died and you moved in."

He dug in cheerfully to the sweet she had offered before blinking as he realized something... "Your original master, before me... was 'he' the original Dracula?" He watched her indifferent shrug and figured that because she wasn't alive at the time she might not have known. But if that was the case it explained why Soma went and used the name despite it not 'being' his name. False identities afforded a level of security after all.

And perhaps if this was back in those long ago days having a girl just randomly appear out of nowhere would have been fine. Now she needed an identification number, a country of origin, school records, everything really. Leaving him a bit perplexed on how to handle her when he still couldn't come up with a proper 'name'.

They sat in silence for some time as they watched repairs being made on the part of the city that got floored due to Sailor Moon's previous battle. While thinking of the situation that the Castle pretty much got him stuck in. What with people trying to force him to return to the Castle as the Lord of Darkness his own wishes be damned. "Can 'anyone' sustain you? For example; if someone else has a strong affinity for darkness, could they become your master?"

"Well... if I wanted them to be sure." Suddenly the Castles' eyes got wide as she looked up at her master and gave a panicked, "not that I would replace you!"

Soma's eyebrow had raised at her admittance but he shook his head in response, "no I prefer your honesty. I'm just thinking about things." He confessed as he sat there taking another spoonful of his snack. Since he was left wondering if there was anyone with a strong enough affinity with Darkness to sustain the Castle besides himself and Alucard. After all, Alucard could clearly take over the Castle if he so chose once Soma had been killed. Yet instead he kept running out of the castle as well, so he clearly didn't want the job she required being maintained.

"Say, Castle do you like being here? Able to move on your own?" Soma asked, finally figuring she had been on the loose long enough to have her own opinion at this point.

She looked up at him in thoughtful curiosity before looking down at herself, taking stock of her existence. The fingers curled and closed into fists on her command, she could feel her toes wiggle inside her shoes and for the first time thought about herself. Feeling the sensation of being alive and mobile while in the presence of her master. Granted she only felt this good when he was near, the moment he was in class and she was forced to wait at his apartment she had grown weaker. Absorbing the darkness from the things he spent most of his time around while waiting for him.

Those days spent more fixated on taking inventory on what her master liked so that when she returned to her more natural form she knew what to have installed. A movie theater sized screen to watch shows on, an arcade, a swimming pool, a pool table, basketball court... So many things. "Honestly I'd rather be a Castle, its what I am and I feel most comfortable like that. But if I have to exist with that seal in place and you out here, than being a person is just what I'm going to have to be I suppose."

It made Soma frown in thought as something occurred to him as she spoke making him take his time with the spoonful of parfait in his mouth. But once it was swallowed down he found himself voicing that question. "If you were out here though, in your true form and without the Chaos core... what then? Even if I didn't move back in, I mean the core may be gone but aren't you sealed in Chaos itself? Would that still sustain you? Or would you return to being just a mindless castle?"

She blinked and drew up her knees to her chest and rested her chin between the small v that her knees formed. "The Seal isn't in the Chaos realm though, its between planes and I used the core to reach the Chaos realm. The darkness you command is literally the only thing keeping me awake and aware at this point now that the Chaos is gone... So for being mindless.. I guess the best way to think of it would be going to sleep, so it wouldn't matter what happened after that."

He blinked at what she was describing realizing that it sounded more like an acceptance for being euthanize and that struck him as horrifying. "I'm sorry! I must sound so insensitive right now," he apologized, regretting his poor question choice. Only to have her beam up at him with a huge smile on her goth painted face.

"Oh its quite the opposite actually, I'm very happy. The questions mean you're thinking of a way to try to keep me alive and happy, while not having to come back. That means you care! And after the time I've spent here, I can see that not everyone cares about their things like you do. So I'm happy, keep asking as many questions as you want!"

He blinked down at her in surprise before finally letting his mind do a little more creative question making. Glad that she wasn't upset with his questions, and hoping that she wouldn't mind some of the odder ones he was about to ask. "So you're aware of the Chaos and what happened to Usagi and her group right?"

"Yeah, its a different form of Chaos, more internal than external, breaking things down internally." She explained as she wrapped her arms around her knees.

"Well I was wondering, what would happen if we fixed it, is there a way to keep reality as it is. But allow Usagi and the others to be liberated from that internal break down," he asked trying to piece what he wanted to ask in a way without upsetting her.

"Huh?" The girls' reply wasn't surprising, she wiggled her feet before dropping her legs down so she could twirl a bit of her hair around her right pinky.

"Well I mean, is there a way to allow them to grow up... the other scouts never got married, expecting a particular future to happen. Would it be possible to create a future where they got married, had kids and let the kids inherit the title of 'Sailor Scout' instead of them having to do this themselves? With them only as scouts they could use you as a base of operations and that means you'd be constantly exposed to a type of energy source that would sustain you. I figure all those ladies with their planetary power might be able to make up for the lack of the Chaos Core. Or you could just incarnate as a Sailor Scout proper. With a living identity and such."

The girl looked at him in pure awe, her eyes huge in disbelief her hand stilled as she sat there, before her lips began to slowly spread into a large smile. "You're so wise, I would have thought that you would want to bring about their icky stagnate future of agelessness. But you actually want to accommodate cosmic order while sparing them the punishment their hubris created for them!" The Castle flung her arms around his, pinning his arms down and leaving the parfait pressed against his legs. And grateful that it was in a sundae glass and he was in sturdy jeans because that was just 'too' cold otherwise.

But the Castle was squealing her praises about him, her feet kicking and her face shoved into his coat sleeve, amazingly not getting make up smeared into his beloved coat. Clearly even the Castle knew better.

"So I'm going to need you to return us to the seal, because I'm pretty sure if I try to use this out here its going to get some attention. And I really don't want it before I have everything set up," Soma finally ordered as he reached down into his coat pocket and produced a single small ornate gold key.

One of a series of keys normally found hanging off a slender chain around Sailor Pluto's waist...

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"So you stay here when you're not on earth?" Soma asked as he walked along the long, almost Avalon style foggy area. It was incredibly empty, with only a massive door behind her and absolutely nothing else around either of them. It created this strange conflicting sensation being alone in a massive huge field while at the same time being confined to a small space. Both outside in the open and in a small cabin and that Setsuna 'lived' like this? It made him feel a type of kinship with the woman considering he had been in the Castle for centuries.

"Yes, it is my guard post," Setsuna answered with a slight nod, though through the fog she could see the mild concern that was growing on Soma's face. "There is food and a bed, this place is crafted to leave me without any wants. What I will, becomes reality."

"No big screen tv, swimming pool, or couch? I do have to protest," he replied, earning a faintly understanding smile on Setsuna's lips.

She answered his protest with a sweep of her hand to the side where a small, almost cozy table for two appeared as the fog fell back. As though the few meager furniture items had been there all this time. The set was white, but the design was more like what one would find in a bar, with cushions and a round table to sit at. It didn't evoke a date feel, and it was a set up she had grown to appreciate during her time hanging out with Haruka, Michiru preferred more refinement in her cafes.

But they took their seats, Soma pulling out Setsuna's chair first and sliding it for her before settling down in his own chair. Earning him an amused smile from the Princess as she noted how he was as she was before, young in body but with an aged soul. Despite the fact that Soma had few and far between memories on such history. Yet his personality held some old world feel, displaying warmth and the dignified manners of a lord. When he wasn't pestering his past life son...

"However; I do not keep with things that would distract me from my duties," she finished earning a small nod from Soma.

"I suppose you get a lot of foot traffic then, from people trying to get to the door," Soma noted thoughtfully. Only to raise a surprised eyebrow when Setsuna shook her head in the negative.

"Actually no, few have the power you or the other Princesses have to reach this place. The last time someone found it was Small Lady..." Setsuna explained, feeling the faint smile on her lips falter.

"Small Lady?" Soma asked, trying to think of who would be stuck with a name like that, yet the sad look in Setsuna's eyes made him pause. It wasn't instant tears or such, it was a soft flinch, a light glance away.

"Chibi Usa?" Soma hazarded as he did the mental math and Chibi Usa was the youngest out of the whole of the scouts at the end of the day.

Though the Guardian of Time wished he wasn't that astute, as she was forced to nod in acknowledgment of his guess. "Yes, but also no. The Chibi Usa you first met, is not the same Chibi Usa I first met. And perhaps that is my fault, staying here and waiting for the day she would run through the doors as I recalled. I chose to stay isolated here, waiting for her to herald the time I would finally leave here. Only she didn't, the events that brought about her future didn't happen and when I finally returned to earth... a stranger was wearing her face and name..."

Soma blinked in surprise before lowering his own gaze to his hands, before holding them up. The Castle knew better, so he was free to show off exactly 'what' Plush power was supposed to do, and though he wanted a plush Chibi Usa, he ended up with a Plush Mina doll. He put it on the table and tried again, getting a plush Soma this time.

The more plushies he created the more Setsuna felt her eyebrow rise, wondering as to the constant production of magical plushies and just what Soma was getting at. She gathered up the girl plushy and turned it around so she could look at it. Recognizing the girl from the shrine in her robes in this little doll. The arms waved up and down almost child like in a silent plea to be picked up and was incredibly cute.

Knowing that Soma was turned into one of these when his castle transformed into a scout made holding such a doll all the more amusing to the scout. But she 'did' wonder why he was soon covering the ground with more and more of these little dolls. "Soma, what are you doing?"

"Well I thought maybe if I focused I could produce a Chibi Usa plush... I can kinda make one for Arikado after all." Soma explained amid a mounting army of soft plush versions of himself that were starting to look around from where they were dropped. Until suddenly he was holding a black suited, annoyed expression plush version of the agent.

He gave a tight lipped smile before turning the doll around to face Setsuna before wrapping his arms around it and looking over its shoulder at her. "See I know he couldn't possibly have looked this way when he was a kid. I'm trying to manifest a child version of him so I can see what he looked like since he won't talk. But well, this is as far as I can go for now it seems."

Setsuna blinked in surprise, looking down at the plush Somas and Minas that were starting to get up and walk around the area. Almost like a cross between a puppet and a zombie really, from what she had seen on late night television when absolutely nothing else but infomericals were on. "So... they can move on their own I see?"

"Yes, they're decoys really, throw them out and they attract the monsters to come after then and I can then either sneak by or kill." Soma explained as he produced another Soma for the pile. "Though they can distract beautiful ladies." He added nudging another newly made Soma towards her with a wiggle of the eyebrows.

His words caused her to blink before she began to laugh, people normally didn't flirt with her and her own unrequited feelings for the Prince made her often feel lonely. Especially when she was with Haruka and Michiru with their marriage still going strong.

While a trio of plushy Soma's worked behind her. One grabbing onto one of the small keys hanging off her delicate belt. The other two working to keep her from feeling it when the tugging began. Which made Setsuna's sudden laugh all the more appreciated as her body movements caused the key to snap loose from her belt.

The plush hand stuffed the key into a pocket, and then resumed walking about the area.

"But... what do you do with all of them? Are you suggesting I keep all these little ones?" Setsuna asked as she hugged the Mina plushy smiling all the while.

"Well they 'do' disappear on their own after a while, but they got you to smile and that's more important to me. I can't deny your situations make me feel bad," Soma confessed as he turned the Arikado plush around to face him. Only to get punched into nose by the plush who now looked more annoyed at him. "Minas just kind of flail and make people want to hug her. But the Soma ones are a bit more versatile and Arikado is like his real self. A bully." Soma furthered the explanation as the plush Arikado produced a business card that it waved in his face.

He took the card and checked it over, finding the words 'Give the Key back Soma' on it. "It even scolds me like Arikado would if he were here."

"He wouldn't scold if he didn't care," Setsuna pointed out with a faint smile on her face as she watched him shove the card into his coat pocket. "So is this an impromptu lunch date Cruz-sama?"

"Well I can't say I believe in turning down a ladies' request," Soma answered with a faint smile, having felt the tips of his fingers brush against the key.

Man he loved his power sometimes...


	11. Chapter 11

Castle in the Sky

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

Bribed into doing this...

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'I... I just watched two woman have an aerial battle in the nude didn't I?' Soma thought to himself, wishing there was someone to verify what he bore witness to. He had been hiding via the invisibility granted by another of his souls, allowing him to avoid getting involved with anything he saw. A battle for the sake of the universe that he found incredibly upsetting given how young the girls were. They were barely high school students, and for the first time Soma saw this supposed original 'Chibi Usa' and even her own Sailor Scouts.

Which implied that there was four 'more' scouts that didn't get activated at all if they didn't show up in his time. They would have during that one battle at the very 'least' and then there were the 'aliens' involved. His mind was still reeling over the fact that there were 'Alien Sailor Scouts' that arrived to take part of the battle.

Then his brain took a moment to realize he basically made an 'ass' out of 'alien sailor scouts' and thus he ended up smothering some chuckling before resuming his thoughts.

Every star system, every planet that sustained life had its own Sailor Scout? Was 'that' what he was meant to take away from this? Every star was a sun that warmed possible worlds that held life and Sailor Scouts and that Galaxia girl had sacrificed a good portion of her life fighting Chaos. Fighting equating sealing the entity within herself, causing unnecessary destruction across the star maps of the universe.

When he wanted to wreck a system he just became a Vampire and started world wars, he never looked up to the night sky and said. "You know... I'd like to see all that potential life burned to the ground too."

And when he was forced to view 'himself' as having a moral high ground, that was when Soma knew it was time to do something! Usagi and the others had already left, there was nothing but himself and this lone cosmic cauldron that carried the infinite possibilities of the universe. Usagi literally allowing herself to be the Big Bang that would restart all of the universe, return her to where she was before Galaxia showed up...

And be forced to live the rest of her life as a Sailor Scout, fighting for love and justice until she was an old woman. Unless he figured out a way to allow her and her fellow scouts to pass the duties on to another generation. All the while keeping the universe from the stagnation that the Castle was vehemently opposed to. AND also figuring out how to sustain the Castle without the Chaos core or making it so codependent on him.

Though in moderate hindsight all he was trying to do was stabilize Usagi and her group's situation rather than his own. He was fine with being killed and resurrecting over and over again until Julius got around with killing him and reincarnating into Soma.

Thus Soma made a seat for himself before the Cauldron on a boulder that was near enough that he could see everything approaching it. Though not necessarily 'be' seen, the landscape was pale white for the most part and if there was anyone that fit 'pale' 'white' and possibly invisible against a white wall, it was Soma.

"Cauldron? Is it possible that we can have a talk?" he finally asked, who knew maybe it could form words in some manner or another. Or prop up cue cards with its answers on it, or text him answers he didn't honestly know. This wasn't something that he could just dig out of his ancient memories, and if it 'was' something that happened before and he 'could'.

Then he was quitting life.

That was it, going from the undead, monsters, vampires, being a reincarnation OF a Vampire Dark Lord. Only to discover he was sharing this world with elemental casting princesses who wore sailor suits and fought for justice. While having his previous residence now following him around like a fangirl. Who, in an effort to try to protect him, would now transform herself into a Sailor Scout and turn Soma into a stuffed toy.

Because why not?

It was like being trapped in some insane story written by the utter insane when he thought on it...

One major problem was going to be the fact that Soma was trying to effect changes in the past without 'going' into the past. He was trying to figure out a way to get the Castle itself to randomly develop the very thing it would need to sustain itself without using Chaos. Or at the very least use Chaos as a main source while having a back up source for when Soma would finally be able to leave it for good. Even then, what would happen after Soma died?

Give the Castle to Arikado, literally 'here you go son your very own castle!'... No, Arikado would have words with him. Pretty sure that those words would be harsh, numerous, span MULTIPLE languages, and end with a 'no thank you'. With that in mind, how many generations could the Castle even be passed on 'to' before someone tried to exploit the structure? Hell he had been summoning demons and monsters for 'how' long in the Castle on his own? The only other option would be to allow the Castle to exist without having to be right at his side, until he died. Allowing it to slide into its own slumber and in a sense 'die' in an incredibly human and humane way.

Unless...

Maybe...

… that could work...

Give the Castle to the Sailor Scouts? They 'were' princesses, the Castle 'did' take on a female form and because he was trying to figure out who to pass the Castle on 'to'... There would be a good balance between the Castle's affinity for Chaos and Darkness with the Order and Light that Usagi represented.

It would be like having Mina doing the interior design for the Castle, which would mean lots of pastel colors, cleaned up, repairs made... Giving something for the Kung Fu Zombie Maids to do other than trick his Japanese ingrained mindset to do a proper bow before ax kicking him IN THE HEAD! Because he was a little head sore from that really, one would have thought he would have learned after the first maid.

He didn't.

Hell he still didn't understand how he got his memories back, was acknowledged by the Castle as the true lord and master... AND STILL had to fight his way through down to the core just to get to the Orb of Chaos in the first place. He would have assumed that by proxy of him being 'their master' the monsters would have obligingly stepped out of his way.

What had started out as quiet contemplation slowly churned its way into annoyance until he was fuming at the disrespect shown to him. While the Cauldron before him continued to churn quietly as though some cosmic ladle was stirring it, and providing Soma with no way to communicate with it. And just 'talking' to it was tricky, there was no way to know if it was agreeing, disagreeing or ignoring him and Soma needed confirmation. After all, Usagi got to where she was because the Cauldron listened without her knowing.

Mid thoughts he found himself getting distracted by a sound that dragged itself into his awareness. Once it got his attention he quietly got up while trying to scan the landscape to see if he could find who it was. A landscape that had involved large pillars and broken stone boulders, grass in some places had somehow melted and reshaped behind his back. Beyond him was a seemingly empty garden, with pillars and fountain, something to be expected on the grounds of a noble.

Save there was no life, flowers, grass, trees, even water coming from the fountain were all absent from the area. Was this meant to symbolize the metaphorical 'bones of the world'? If so Soma was curious if perhaps 'this' was the method that the Cauldron used to communicate with. Regardless, Soma kept his head down and tried to see who or what was making the sound that took away his attention to start with.

Was it that the garden was still forming itself? Or was this strange formation a reaction to the presence of other living people? Was someone else here? Because the Scouts had been able to reach here so it wasn't immune from outsiders approaching it. Hell Soma 'himself' was an outsider that approached it! Yet the sound had a very even footing pace, the sound of someone walking leisurely through the unplanted garden. There was nothing hurried or militaristic in those steps, just the soft shifting that came as something was dragged along, like a long dress or a cloak that reached the ground. Muffled footsteps with the soft shift of fabric that probably tented the footsteps to begin with.

Under his finger tips he felt the pillar he hid behind mold itself, pulling his attention momentarily away to watch as images came and went. Though these were pillars, they didn't retain a particular style or shape or even design. From simple grooved in lines to ornate swirls even images that brought to might Egyptian hieroglyphics. Everything was moving slowly into various designs, as though one was taking a walk through the history of designs from around the world.

It was mesmerizing really, the ebb and flow of what 'appeared' to be stone as it melted on a very subtle level to change what was presented. Dangerous clearly, Soma shook his head of the bewitching beauty of this garden and resumed following the sound that grabbed his attention originally. A sound that was making its way closer to his location near the Cauldron.

Peering from behind a pillar Soma suddenly felt as though he had been punched in the stomach. It was a strange sensation as the person walked out from behind some trellis that were posted up. How exactly did a person deal with seeing 'themselves' again for the first time in another body? In the back of Soma's mind he could literally feel a part of his brain start screaming 'That's it! That's my body!'. Those were his European features, his deep brown hair, that was 'him' walking through this strange, silent garden.

How was Soma's previous body 'here'?

Although, it would have made some sense if this was where his past self managed to get what he needed to bring the Castle to life.. The Cauldron that held all life and chaos contained within its walls would easily be able to produce the original core wouldn't it?

Perhaps it was the fact that Soma was blatantly staring at the man he used to be, that Mathias finally began looking in Soma's direction. With a reaction much akin to Soma's in all honesty, the surprise and disbelief. White hair, pale skin, those strangely slanted eyes and a white coat that reflected Mathias' own preference for thick fur collars.

Yet if Soma's shock was in seeing his original body moving about after all those centuries, for Mathias it was seeing his own soul in its own body. That strange sense of absence that manifested once he became a vampire, the moment he sealed away his humanity in retaliation against God, that feeling flared up once more. Surprisingly intense as though it wanted to reach out and grab this person and pull him in, restoring what was lost.

And any attempt to start a conversation was suddenly halted by the combination of incredulous realization that this was happening and what did one even 'say' when in an encounter such as this?

'Hi Body long time no see?'

'How did my soul end up taking a stroll outside of the Crimson stone?'

"Well this is awkward."

"That it most certainly is..."

"So what brings you to the primordial source of Chaos and life?" Soma asked crossing his arms and leaning a bit against the pillar by his side.

"Oh, is that what this place is... I guess that explains a few things. I am looking for an artifact of power for my, well, our home." Mathias answered simply, allowing his gaze to once more take in the environment he found himself in.

"A core for the Castle..." Soma elaborated out loud as he realized this must have been the day that his past found a way to give life to the Castle. "We need to talk..."

"Is this going to be about becoming a vampire? If so..." Mathias began only to be interrupted by Soma shaking his head 'no'.

"You're a Vampire, can't do anything about that, no this is about the Castle itself... Have you ever... thought about what would happen to it if you brought it to life? Like its feelings on the matter?"

"'Feelings'? Of a 'castle'? Have you lost your mind?" Mathias inquired, amazed at such an insane question... Then again... This 'was' his soul asking this question and there was a decided series of reasons why he wanted said soul 'out' of him.

"You turned yourself into a Vampire... You're not the gold standard of sanity here." Soma retorted casually as his eyes caught the slightest sign of fangs in his old body.

"I'm not the one trying to place emotions upon a castle." Mathias replied as he adjusted his steps towards his own soul. But with each step the yearning for his soul grew stronger forcing him to stop, fearing that somehow his soul would reinstate itself into him. Forcing him to experience all the conflict he had developed when he decided to betray Leon and Sara as he did.

Not that Soma wanted Mathias any closer, while he lacked the desire for reunification that Mathias possessed. He 'did' feel a strange sense of being pulled upon, as though drawn to something on Mathias or to the guy. Which made no sense to him seeing that he was a reincarnation, so why would he want to be back in his old body? Save for old times sake? "Yes, well it didn't have any until you finished up what you came here to do. Its alive, and by my point in time, sentient." Soma pointed out, and watched as Mathias reacted in surprise.

"Your point in time? Do you mean to say that you are not just my soul wandering loose in this strange place?" Mathias asked taken aback at the thought that this wasn't just some strange manifestation of his human soul. But some future version of himself?!

"Yeah... You, me, we died, and reincarnated into who I am. What did you think this is?" Soma replied pushing himself from his pillar lounge to hold up his arms as though to say 'this body' "This body is new, but we share a soul."

"Impossible the Crimson Stone sealed my soul within it." Mathias argued only to watch as the pale one rolled his eyes.

"If your soul is sealed away, you'd have no personality and wouldn't care about anything, you didn't seal away your 'soul'. You sealed away your humanity, but even then that's not something you can't just redevelop. So over time you could redevelop everything you threw out, I have our soul after all." Soma began before adding as an awkward afterthought. "Mine and a bunch of other souls that I absorbed over two trips through castles."

"You absorbed 'what'?"

"... The souls of monsters... its called the 'Power of Dominance'... I'm assuming you can do the same thing... I mean we're the same person." Soma pointed out not liking this gleam in Mathias' eyes, the kind normally seen on doctors given a new item to dissect.

"I'm just an alchemist... but that your power is a manifestation of the Crimson Stone and then advanced..."

As Mathias approached, Soma called Death's Scythe and jabbed it at Mathias in self defense, "no, no. You stay over there where I can see you. Look all I need is to figure out a way to maintain the Castle without it needing to be at my side all day and night. So whatever you have planned, if you could add a secondary source for the castle to draw on or something..."

"You'd still consider the Castle as a living thing," Mathias shook his head in response with a sigh, crossing his arms and studying this clearly younger minded version of himself.

"Because it is, not only is it sentient I have to figure out how to help a group of women I'm kind of fond of." Soma elaborated as Mathias finally opted to take a step back so the scythe wouldn't be quite in his face.

"What... where did women come into this discussion?" Mathias asked feeling confused at the statement.

"Well I was thinking of letting them move into the Castle after I die. I figured that with all their holy power and light it would balance the.. what's that look for?" Soma broke off from his explanation once he saw the expression on Mathias' face.

"Have you lost your mind?!" Mathias demanded it amazement.


	12. Chapter 12

Castle in the Sky

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

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"Well let's take a moment to assess the situation shall we? I'm a human, standing in a place with the primordial force of all creation to the left of me, my past life incarnation now a vampire in front of me. And somehow this is actually 'happening' so you tell me. Does any of this sound sane to start with?" Soma retorted with an even voice and flat stare at the exclamation. "And what's so wrong with what I suggested to start with?"

It was strange to see himself staring back at him like this, and he actually had to ponder if this was what Leon felt facing him. But this was 'him' in this strange, pale, new body so if nothing else Mathias resigned himself to trying to explain the obvious. "You remember the alchemy teachings correct?"

"No," Soma began and when Mathias started to look horrified he resigned himself to explain. "Do you honestly think I could keep my sanity with all those life experiences from the moment I was born? I had to live my life over again, develop my own identity in a world much different than what I, or you, were born into. And learning everything you know has been a slow process made slower because I want to stay 'me'. I don't want go back to hating humanity."

"What? Humanity? No, I hate God," Mathias retorted baffled by this strange comment. Sure Soma made sense about the memories issue, but humanity?

"... How can you hate God when there's a 'chapel' in the Castle?" Soma countered because from his standpoint... wasn't it about hating humanity?

Mathias's eyes grew wide in disbelief, leaving him standing there watching as Soma began nodding slowly in answer. He couldn't figure out why he would turn on humanity, since he opted to become a vampire which turned the human race into his food source. Kind of a bad decision to literally decide to hate the food you eat, what was he five?

"Yeah, there's a chapel in the Castle, couple of holy souls as well..." Soma explained.

The pair stood there staring at each other, mutually lost over the moment that what they knew of the other changed. When Mathias finally sighed and decided he probably 'should' explain a few things to his future self.

"Two opposing forces can't be forced to coexist without a type of middle ground to ease the friction. Think of two opposing stones that can spark, thus creating fire. If you take a powerful force of Dark energy and force it to deal with an equal force of Holy there 'will' be a fire. If either side is greater, the other will be eliminated, so if you are going to carry out this fools quest, there 'must' be an outlet." Mathias explained, watching as Soma grew more thoughtful and introspective of the matter.

The younger man would rouse up as though to ask something, only to cut himself off before the words were spoken. Clearly he was coming to realize some particular answer that negated the need to ask. But if he was doing this it meant he was still doggedly determined to treat the Castle as a living entity and attempt to preserve its so called 'life'.

"This is what my life has come to..." Mathias remarked as he looked for a place to settle down for a while. "Fine, let us talk you and I, and see if we can devise some solution that would be agreeable."

The Cauldron rested as a center piece before the pair, bubbling with possibilities that rose to its surface like the base of a waterfall. Absorbing the words of the two before it as it had absorbed the universe. A silent audience to the discussions of life, what made something 'living', the values of it, and started to stir with those questions and theories.

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 _Dear Arikado,_

 _Julius thought this would be a good idea. If I wrote what goes on in my life and write it in letter format. 'Something something, help me from going world destroying crazy yadda yadda yadda, might be fun, grumble grumble, might get Arikado more sociable too.' Because apparently I handle way too much stuff with calm sophistication. Apparently the whole 'Flying Skeletons attacking me and I just stab it with my widdle pocket knife' is a bit 'TOO' low key for his tastes. I guess he couldn't understand why something like that, while surprising, wouldn't scare me 50 ways to Sunday. So let me tell you about my day here in the brightly lit active city of Tokyo, Japan._

 _Let's start with what I'm doing right now._

 _Right now I am sitting by a glass window at a charming little cat Cafe. The walls are a soft honey color series of swirls mixed with milk white. The tables and chairs are all white, slender, with this lovely cinnamon brown haired woman in a white and green sailor suit sitting on my lap. Lit in a lovely golden red hue of a raging inferno coming from outside the cafe._

 _Literally, angels from Heaven don't let little things like windows get in their way I suppose._

"Hi Uncle Soma, how have you been?" inquired a green eyed, fifteen year old Sailor Scout. Her gaze cheerful if a bit pained from being sent through the window.

"Fine, how have you and the family been Little Jupiter?" He asked as he saved the letter and put the phone away.

"'Sailor' not 'Little', come on Uncle!" The Scout with hair the color of redwoods scolded as he stood up with her in his arms.

"Still little to 'me'," he pointed out as he put her properly on the ground before the pair began shaking off the broken glass. Outside a battle raged between Sailor Scouts and who knew what that wanted world domination this week.

She laughed openly even as she took off to the window and jumped out of it, "Well try to stay out of danger Uncle! Or you can meet up with grandma and the others! They mentioned going shopping down town today!" She called out as she rushed along.

Allowing Soma to walk unbothered to the useless front door of the cafe and free to see nine different Sailor Scouts actively dealing with the threat. Though seeing Usagi and the older Court sounded like something to do, now that his quiet cafe time was ruined. So he began visually 'counting noses' to make sure each scout was ok. Usagi would be upset if her granddaughter got hurt after all, and he couldn't handle crying women.

Sure their daughters were destined to fight these battles, but what parent enjoyed the constant worry that 'this' would be the battle where their kid didn't come home? Speaking of 'kids'...

"Wait! I'm coming!"

'Oh no...' Soma thought as he saw a familiar figure running down the street towards him. "Kana go home..." He whimpered but it was too late.

"Darkness Power Make Up!"

Annnnnd he was plush.

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A/N: Hi! I'm the author of this fic and now that I'm done with this ultimate crack edition...Ahh I might as well try to help you guys understand the stuff I skipped.

Yes I put these two universes into the same one, so there 'are' Creatures of the Night that roam around in this universe despite it also having Sailor Moon.

Sooo ok this could be a bit of work bear with me. So the scouts time line is that they meet Chibi Usa and expect her birth and Usagi becoming queen. In this fic, it didn't happen and everyone just grew up doing the same 'save the world' thing until Soma showed up. The resolution has resulted in there never 'being' a Crystal Tokyo future Chibi Usa. So Usagi and gang, with no preexisting expectation of the future treated their Chibi Usa like her own person. Any arc in the original canon that requires Chibi Usa happens years later when Chibi Usa 'is' Sailor Moon. So she met Helios when she was in middle school like her mother meeting Mamoru. Any arc that didn't need Chibi Usa she was just 'there' still happened when they happened just without her there.

Yes, everyone save Mina/Sailor Venus are married to someone. Ami to her classmate, Makoto to Nephilite, Rei to Jadite. The reason Mina is not married is tied to her own Manga 'Sailor V' which explains the curse of her love life. While she 'has' a daughter (Who is married), and a granddaughter, she herself is single.

'Kana' is the name Soma ultimately gave the Castle when its in human form. The Castle, after Soma came to power/learned of his past, serves as a type of home to those who are 'not' human. Therefore not direct members of Mamoru's own kingdom, generally speaking, people who are of the Moon Kingdom live there, filtrating the Moon kingdom and the Earth kingdom after the original Queen Serenity sent everyone en mass to earth the first time. Once those of the Moon are recollected they will be moved 'back' to the Moon Kingdom. With Chibi Usa uniting the two kingdoms by being the product of the Moon and Earth royal families. However; given how slow the process is, its pretty obvious that she will long be dead as well. And when 'that' time comes is when Usagi herself be reincarnated, this time as Sailor Cosmos. With the Moon Rod kept in the Castle for the time Soma will acknowledge her return.


End file.
